Dull pain can occur anywhere on the body. This steady and typically bearable type of pain has many different causes.

Dull pain is the kind of pain that feels more like a deep ache, pressure, or heaviness rather than something sharp or stabbing.

Learning to accurately describe different types of pain can help your doctor diagnose the cause and determine appropriate treatment.

Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that your nervous system produces in response to potential or actual harm. It can be described with many different modifiers (like sharp, dull, throbbing, or burning) and may be located in one area or spread across multiple parts of your body.

For example, when you pinch yourself, your nerves signal to your brain that this physical contact may be causing tissue damage. Your brain interprets those signals as the feeling we call pain.

There are two basic kinds of pain:

  • Chronic pain: Chronic pain is a feeling of discomfort that lasts for a long time. It can be caused by severe and lasting problems.
  • Acute pain: Acute pain comes on suddenly and is usually caused by a sudden injury, disease, or illness. Acute pain can usually be managed or treated, but if not, it can turn into chronic pain.

Dull and sharp are descriptions for the type and quality of pain.

Dull pain

Dull pain is usually used to describe chronic or persistent pain. This is a deep ache felt in an area, but it typically doesn’t stop you from doing daily activities. Dull pain may occur due to:

  • a slight headache
  • sore muscles
  • a bruised bone
  • menstrual cramps

Sharp pain

Sharp pain is harsher and may make you suck in your breath when it occurs. It’s generally more localized, and you feel it in a specific bodily area. Examples of sharp pain include:

  • paper cuts
  • ankle sprains
  • tweaks in your back
  • muscle tears

There are different categories for describing or attempting to gather information about pain. These include:

  • Location: Where the pain is felt.
  • Intensity: How severe the pain is.
  • Frequency: How often the pain occurs.
  • Quality: What type of pain a person is experiencing, for example, dull, sharp, or throbbing.
  • Duration: How long the pain lasts when it occurs.
  • Pattern: What seems to trigger the pain, and what relieves it.

The category that’s most difficult to describe is the quality of the pain. Some words that may help you describe your pain include:

  • stabbing
  • dull
  • sharp
  • nagging
  • shooting
  • throbbing
  • gnawing
  • burning

Try to keep a record of your pain as it occurs. Sharing this information with a healthcare professional can help them understand how to best address your pain and treat it.

If your pain worsens, consult a healthcare professional. If your dull pain is due to a previously known injury, such as an ankle twist, bruise, or another condition, monitor how it feels and note down any changes.

If your pain isn’t due to a known injury and lasts more than 2 to 3 weeks, you need to make an appointment with a doctor. If you’re feeling dull pain deep in your bones, you may be experiencing a serious condition, such as arthritis or bone cancer.

A healthcare professional will ask you questions about your pain. Keeping a pain diary may help you describe your pain to your doctor.

Dull pain is often used to describe milder pain that is persistent or chronic, lasting a few days, months, or more. Sharp pain tends to be sudden and severe and is typically associated with an injury or illness. It commonly occurs due to an old injury or a chronic condition, but dull pain still needs evaluation from a trained medical professional.