Neck Pain
What is neck pain?
Neck pain is one of the most common types of pain disorders in the general population. At any given time, 34-43% of the population report having neck pain. 14-22% percent of the general population report having chronic neck pain.1, 2 Healthcare providers consider pain to be chronic when it lasts longer than six months.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
What is complex regional pain syndrome?
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is an uncommon nerve-related pain condition. While it can occur in any body part, it usually occurs in an arm or leg. It has a typical set of signs and symptoms in the affected body part:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
What is chronic fatigue syndrome?
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition of severe exhaustion that lasts for at least six months and which is not due to a known medical or psychological disorder. The exhaustion persists despite obtaining rest. CFS occurs in 0.46 to 1% of the general population and 80% of those with CFS are women.1
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
What is temporomandibular joint disorder?
Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD -- sometimes referred to as TMJ) is a pain disorder that occurs in the joints of the jaws, on either side of the face. Specifically, it occurs in the joints located in front of the ears, where the lower jaw joins the face. The pain is usually described as a tension-related ache, though in more advanced stages it can be a sharp pain.
Shoulder Pain
What is shoulder pain?
Shoulder pain is common. Sometimes, it occurs in an acute manner, such as in a sports injury or when it becomes dislocated. Other times, it comes and goes, such as when people have bursitis. Sometimes, it lasts longer. Tendinitis can continue for some time but can usually be improved with care. In most cases of chronic shoulder pain, it is due to osteoarthritis.
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
What is reflex sympathetic dystrophy?
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is an uncommon nerve-related pain condition. It can occur in any body part, though it typically occurs in an arm or leg. It has a typical set of signs and symptoms in the affected body part:
Post-Surgical Pain
What is post-surgical pain?
As the name implies, post-surgical pain is pain that occurs as a result of a surgical procedure. Post-surgical pain is normal when immediately following a surgery. Such pain is usually treated with the use of medications. As patients heal from the surgery, pain typically diminishes. In a surprising number of patients, however, pain continues long after the normal healing process is completed. As such, the pain becomes chronic. Post-surgical pain is typically considered chronic when it continues for longer than six months.
Piriformis Syndrome
What is piriformis syndrome?
Piriformis syndrome is a neuromuscular condition that occurs when the piriformis muscle in the buttocks pinches the sciatic nerve. The piriformis muscle is a large muscle on each side of the buttocks. The sciatic nerve is a nerve which starts at the spinal cord in the low back, extends through the piriformis muscle in the buttock, and branches down the back of the leg, all the way to the foot.
Phantom Limb Pain
What is phantom limb pain?
Phantom limb pain is pain in a limb that has been previously amputated. When people experience phantom limb pain after an amputation, the nervous system continues to function as if the limb is still there. As a result, patients with phantom limb pain continue to feel pain in the limb that in fact is no longer present. In addition to pain, patients can feel other sensations in the missing limb, like tingling, cold or heat.
Peripheral Neuropathy
What is peripheral neuropathy?
Neuropathy is damage to nerves that causes pain, numbness and/or tingling. While technically many conditions are a form of neuropathy, most people tend to think of peripheral neuropathy when using the term neuropathy.
Diabetic Neuropathy
What is diabetic neuropathy?
Neuropathy is damage to nerves that causes pain, numbness and/or tingling. Patients most often describe the pain as a burning type of pain or as if they are persistently walking on a pebble or other sharp item. The most common cause of peripheral neuropathy in the hands or feet is diabetes.
Neuropathy
What is it?
Neuropathy is a condition of the nerves that causes pain, numbness and/or tingling. While, technically, many conditions are a form of neuropathy, most people tend to think of peripheral neuropathy when using the term neuropathy.
Trigeminal Neuralgia
What is trigeminal neuralgia?
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a condition that causes pain in the face and head. The pain is usually on one side of the face. It is related to the trigeminal nerve, which runs from the brain to the side of the face.
Post-Herpetic Neuralgia
What is post-herpetic neuralgia?
Post-herpetic neuralgia is a nerve pain condition that can result from having shingles. Shingles is a painful rash of blisters on the skin. Shingles itself is caused by the chicken pox virus, which usually lies dormant once having had the chicken pox. The dormant virus can, however, flare up and cause shingles. The onset of shingles oftentimes occurs when someone is under stress. After a number of weeks, shingles usually goes away. Sometimes, however, the nerve pain associated with the shingles continues long after the healing of shingles blisters. This on-going nerve pain is called post-herpetic neuralgia.
Nerve Pain
What is nerve pain?
Nerve pain is a catchall phrase that is used to refer to a loosely associated group of pain disorders. It’s somewhat of a curious use of the phrase because, in a sense, all pain is nerve pain. Pain would not occur without nerves and the nervous system. No matter what the cause of pain, messages related to the cause are nerve impulses that travel along a system of nerves in the body, including the spinal cord and brain. So, again, in a sense, all pain is nerve pain. Nonetheless, the phrase ‘nerve pain’ is used to refer to a group of pain disorders that have some loosely associated features.
Knee Pain
What is knee pain?
Knee pain is a common. Sometimes, it occurs acutely, such as when someone falls and tears a ligament. Other times, its onset is slow, due to strain on muscles or ligaments from repetitive motion. It can also come and go, such as when people have bursitis. Sometimes, however, it lasts longer and can become chronic. In most cases of chronic knee pain, it is due to osteoarthritis.
Chronic Hip Pain
What is chronic hip pain?
Hip pain is common, particularly as people grow older. Sometimes, it occurs in an acute manner, such as when someone falls and has a hip fracture. Other times, it comes and goes, such as when people have bursitis. Sometimes, it lasts longer and can become chronic.