Physiotherapist Joshua Kim shares some thoughts on the topic of pain:
Pain is one of main reasons that people seek help from health professionals. We all know “pain” is a natural way for our body to protect itself from danger (internally or externally). Then why do we worry that much about “pain”? There may be different answers to this question but for me it is because often people don’t know or understand where their “pain” is coming from. This is even more so if the pain goes on for a prolonged period which is beyond a persons expectation.
Vardeh and colleagues (2016) explained the different types/nature of “pain”:
- Nociceptive pain: spontaneous pain in response to painful stimulus, tissue damage or inflammation. This is usually short-lived and gets better once healed (e.g. simple ankle sprain).
- Neuropathic pain: spontaneous pain and associated hypersensitivity in response to damage to or a lesion of the nervous system. This may cause referred pain, away from origin of the pain source (e.g. lower back pain associated with leg pain).
- Dysfunctional pain: pain in absence of tissue damage due to abnormal processing of normal sensation (e.g. chronic lower back pain).
Usually we suffer from nociceptive or neuropathic pain, which usually gets better within an expected time frame (of course more effectively with some physio!). However, when your musculoskeletal condition is not properly managed, this may change to dysfunctional pain. This often means that a simple injury will take longer to recover, or it will become a chronic problem. That’s where we can help to identify the nature of your condition and guide you towards the right rehabilitation.
Here at Takapuna Physiotherapy, we are proud to work with physiotherapists who are highly qualified (all with post-graduate degrees) and with wealth of experience. We are able to effectively treat and assist you with managing any type of pain that is hindering the wellbeing and quality of your life. So, if you are experiencing any type or nature of “pain”, please come and talk to us.