Pain comes from the communication between your nerves, spinal cord, and brain. Depending on the underlying cause, your pain may be acute, chronic, neuropathic, or nociceptive, which is divided into visceral and somatic pain types.

We all feel pain differently, so you may find it difficult to describe the pain you’re feeling to others. You can also experience more than one type of pain at a time, which only adds to the difficulty.

Understanding the different types of pain can make it easier for you to talk with your healthcare professional and describe your symptoms. Read on to learn about some of the main types of pain and how they feel in the body.

Acute pain is short-term pain that comes on suddenly and usually has a clear cause, such as tissue injury. It typically lasts fewer than 6 months and goes away once the underlying issue is treated.

Acute pain tends to start out sharp or intense before gradually improving.

Common causes of acute pain include:

  • broken bones
  • surgery
  • dental work
  • labor and childbirth
  • cuts
  • burns

Pain lasting for more than 6 months, even after the original injury has healed, is considered chronic.

Chronic pain can last for years and range from mild to severe on any given day. And it’s fairly common, affecting an estimated 50 million adults in the United States.

While past injuries or damage can cause chronic pain, sometimes, there’s no clear cause.

Without proper management, chronic pain can start to impact your quality of life. As a result, people living with chronic pain may develop symptoms of anxiety or depression.

Other symptoms that can accompany chronic pain include:

  • muscle tension
  • low energy
  • limited mobility

Some common examples of chronic pain include:

  • frequent headaches
  • nerve damage pain
  • low back pain
  • arthritis pain
  • fibromyalgia pain

Nociceptive pain is the most common type of pain. It occurs when potential or actual tissue damage stimulates nociceptors, which are specialized pain receptors located throughout the body, especially in the skin and internal organs.

When activated (for example, by a cut, bruise, or inflammation), nociceptors send electrical signals through the nervous system to the brain, which interprets them as pain.

Nociceptive pain is the type you usually feel with injuries or inflammation. It can be acute or chronic and is also further classified as visceral or somatic.

Visceral pain

Visceral pain comes from injury or damage to the internal organs. It’s usually felt in the trunk of the body, such as the chest, abdomen, or pelvis. It can be hard to localize to one exact spot.

People often describe visceral pain as:

  • pressure
  • aching
  • squeezing
  • cramping

You may also notice other symptoms such as nausea or vomiting, as well as changes in body temperature, heart rate, or blood pressure.

Examples of things that cause visceral pain include:

  • gallstones
  • appendicitis
  • irritable bowel syndrome

Somatic

Somatic pain comes from stimulation of pain receptors in the body’s tissues, such as the skin, muscles, joints, connective tissues, and bones (rather than the internal organs). Unlike visceral pain, it’s usually easier to pinpoint the exact location.

Somatic pain usually feels like a constant aching or gnawing sensation.

It can be further classified as either:

  • Superficial somatic pain – from the skin or surface tissues (e.g., a canker sore or a scrape)
  • Deep somatic pain – from deeper structures like muscles, tendons, or bones (e.g., a torn tendon or a bone fracture)

Examples of somatic pain include:

  • bone fractures
  • strained muscles
  • connective tissue diseases, such as osteoporosis
  • cancer that affects the skin or bones
  • skin cuts, scrapes, and burns
  • joint pain, including arthritis pain

Neuropathic pain results from damage to, or dysfunction of, the nervous system. When nerves are injured or not working properly, they can misfire and send pain signals even in the absence of a specific injury. This can make the pain feel as if it’s coming from nowhere.

You may also feel pain in response to things that aren’t usually painful, such as cold air or clothing against your skin.

Descriptions of neuropathic pain include:

  • burning
  • freezing
  • numbness
  • tingling
  • shooting
  • stabbing
  • electric shocks

Diabetes is a common cause of neuropathic pain. Other sources of nerve injury or dysfunction that can lead to neuropathic pain include:

Pain is a very personal experience that varies from person to person. What feels very painful to one person may only feel mild to another. And other factors, such as your emotional state and overall physical health, can significantly affect how you feel pain.

Describing your pain accurately can help your healthcare professional find the cause of your pain and recommend the correct treatment. If possible, write down details of your pain before your appointment so you can accurately relay what you’re feeling.

Here are some things your healthcare team will want to know:

  • how long you’ve had the pain
  • how often your pain occurs
  • what brought on your pain
  • what activities or movements make your pain better or worse
  • where you feel the pain
  • whether your pain is localized to one spot or spread out
  • if your pain comes and goes or is constant

Try to use words that best describe the type of pain you feel.

Here are some examples of ways to describe pain:

  • burning
  • sharp
  • dull
  • intense
  • aching
  • cramping
  • shooting
  • stabbing
  • gnawing
  • gripping
  • pressure
  • heavy
  • tender
  • prickly
  • stinging

Keeping a pain diary to track your symptoms can also be helpful. Take note of things like:

  • when it starts
  • how long it lasts
  • how it feels
  • where you feel it
  • how severe it is on a scale of 1 to 10
  • what brought on or triggered the pain
  • what, if anything, made it better
  • any medications or treatments used

If you keep a pain diary, bring it along to your next healthcare appointment.

Pain can take many forms, resulting from a short-term injury or a long-lasting nerve condition. Understanding the type of pain you’re experiencing and being able to describe it to a healthcare professional can lead to effective treatment and pain management.