What is radiating pain? This is the pain felt in parts of the body away from the actual source. This happens because the source has a nerve pathway where the pain can travel along. As such, it is important that doctors find the origin in order to effectively address the issue.
What are opioids? These are the class of drugs that target the brain to produce certain responses, one of which is pain relief. Commonly called painkillers, many of its type treat moderate to severe pain by blocking out signals that travel from the brain to the body.
Sometimes, amputees can feel pain from their missing limb. Called phantom limb pain, this happens because the nerve trunks connected to the missing part are still active. As such, the brain can still process stimuli coming from the region.
What is the difference between acute pain and chronic pain? The former is an immediate and intense pain that lasts for a relatively short time. The latter, on the other hand, is associated with an underlying condition, so it can last longer than half a year.
From the 1970s until the turn of the millennium, breakthroughs in neurochemical research provided significant insights on pain. One of the findings was that women tend to feel pain more frequently but can handle it more effectively than men.
The word analgesic comes from the medical term analgesia, which means the inability to feel pain even when conscious. Despite the technical terminology, it has been adapted into common language because it is on the labels of pain relief medication.