September is Pain Awareness Month
About 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Pain is a symptom that indicates a problem needs to be addressed, and if not addressed in a timely fashion may progress into a disease of its own
Causes of Pain
In most cases, pain is caused by a specific injury or disease. In some cases, the cause of the pain may be unknown or less obvious.
Some of the most common causes of pain include:
- Arthritis
There are over 100 types of joint conditions that can cause pain. The most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for arthritis, but there are certainly ways to manage its symptoms including the debilitating pain.
- Spine issues
Back pain is a very common complaint and in fact, one of the most common causes of disability worldwide.
The quality of back pain could vary. It could be a shooting, stabbing, or burning sensation.
Some of the most common conditions associated with back pain include muscle or ligament strain, bulging or ruptured disks, osteoporosis, and arthritis.
- Muscular Pain
Muscular pain can be widespread but mainly focuses on the neck and shoulder areas, as well as in the forms of tension headaches and migraines. Other factors that can trigger or worsen muscular pain include stress, depression, anxiety, and muscle strain/fatigue.
When to seek medical help
Not everything that causes pain requires medical attention. However, the following situations warrant immediate medical attention:
- Pain that results from substantial trauma or injury to the body (e.g. broken bones or head injury)
- Pain that’s felt in the chest, back, shoulders, and jaw with other signs and symptoms such as dizziness and vomiting
- An acute and sharp internal pain
- Pain is so debilitating that it affects day-to-day life
If you think your pain has something to do with any problem or injury to your muscles, bones, or ligaments, our doctors at South Florida Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine can help. For appointment requests, you may call us at (772) 288-2400.