In most cases, cancer pain can be managed with oral medications. However, some patients require dosages so high that they experience side effects from their pain-relief medications. These patients may be candidates for intrathecal opioids, which are delivered directly into the spinal fluid.
There are a wide variety of causes of neck, shoulder and arm pain. Neck and shoulder pain is often the result of muscular pain that may be related to posture or stress. Pain that starts in the neck and spreads to the shoulders and upper back may come from the facet joints. This pain may get worse when you move your head from side to side or back and forth.
Additional reasons for neck pain may include whiplash, arthritis and disc herniation in your neck. When herniation is present, the material from the disc may irritate the nerve that leads to your arm and cause pain. You may also experience areas of numbness in your hand and fingers or clumsiness.
Chest wall pain, also called costochondritis, can feel similar to the pain associated with a heart attack, even though it has nothing to do with the heart. Chest wall pain is caused by inflammation of the cartilage that connects the ribs to the breastbone.
A headache is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions. The most common types of headache are the “primary headache disorders,” which include migraines and tension-type headaches. However, there are many different types of headaches, including spinal, thunderclap and external compression.
A disc herniation describes a disc that has protruded past its usual borders and often presses against an inflamed spinal nerve root, causing pain or “sciatica.” This is very painful and further activity or injury could cause the membrane to rupture. Substances within the disc can create inflammation around the nerve, resulting in pain that travels down the arm or leg.
There are many potential sources of pain in the lower back. The lumbar spine, including the lumbar disc, joints and ligaments, are all sources of low back pain. In addition, muscles in the lower back can be a source of low back pain, particularly after strenuous activity. Straining, which often occurs when lifting heavy objects improperly, is a common cause of low back pain. Nerve or muscle irritation can also create low back pain. Most acute low back pain is musculoskeletal and can be treated with exercise and anti-inflammatory medications.
Commonly known as muscle pain, myofascial pain affects the connective tissue that covers muscles. Strain, repetitive motions or lack of muscle activity can cause muscle pain. Myofascial Pain Syndrome/Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by chronic pain. It is associated with “trigger points,” which can result in extremely painful contractures in the skeletal muscles of the body.
There are several causes for neck pain. Some do not require medical attention but others may not get better without proper medical advice and treatment.
Muscle strains in the neck are a byproduct of overuse, such as hunching over a steering wheel or computer keyboard. Repeated overuse can result in chronic pain. Muscle pain tends to be tender to the touch and painful with movement.
Neck vertebrae tend to experience wear and tear with age, which can cause Osteoarthritis in your neck. This type of arthritic pain is intensified with movement. A variety of neck vertebrae problems can reduce the amount of space available for nerves to branch out from the spinal cord, causing arm pain and numbness.
Pelvic Pain occurs in the lower abdomen and can range from constant pain to short, sharp pains. Pelvic Pain is more common in women; however, it can also occur in men.
A phantom limb is the sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached to the body and moving correctly with other parts of the body. Phantom limb sensations are sensitivities related to a limb that is not physically part of the body. Limb loss can be a result of either removal by amputation or congenital limb deficiency, but in certain cases, it can also be a result of nerve avulsion or spinal cord injury. Phantom Limb Pain can be very painful.
When scar tissue builds up after an injury or operation, it can come in contact with or squeeze small skin nerves, which can be extremely painful.
A sports injury can produce many different kinds of pain in many different areas of the body. The most common types of sports-related pain are muscle strains, muscle tears, ligament tears, tendon tears, dislocated joints and bone fractures.
Work injuries vary widely in type and severity. Common types of pain associated with work injuries include back and neck pain, shoulder pain, musculoskeletal pain and knee pain.