Pain in the hand can be of a different nature - just as the reasons that caused it can be different. Thus, pain in the joints of the hands can occur due to inflammatory processes or degenerative changes in the joints or in the tissues that surround them. Pain in the arms can also be muscular or neurogenic in nature, and it is rarely possible to independently determine the cause that causes them.
That is why the answer to the questions “Fingers hurt, what should I do?” or “My arm hurts from shoulder to elbow, how to treat it?” sounds like this: “You need to seek medical help!” Only a specialist can order all the necessary studies and correctly make a diagnosis, according to which he will decide what to do in a particular case.
At CELT you can get advice from a specialist algologist.
- Initial consultation – 4,000
- Initial consultation with the head of the Pain Clinic - 4,500
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Do not shrug it off and think that pain in the hand will go away on its own, since it can be a sign of a systemic failure in the body, as well as a symptom of a disease. For example, pain in the left arm may be one of the symptoms indicating heart disease. That is why it is necessary to contact specialists as soon as possible!
Heart
The attack often begins with a tingling sensation in the left side of the chest, moving to the area of the shoulder blade and shoulder. At the same time, numbness is felt in the left hand. The pain is pressing, pulling, it is not associated with the type of movements or breathing rate, but the pressure may increase.
If this occurs, an urgent examination by a specialist is necessary; you cannot take painkillers on your own.
Types of pain
Modern medicine distinguishes two types of pain: acute and chronic. In this case, the sensations differ in their manifestation and are always associated with different reasons.
Acute pain
Acute pain is always characterized by a sudden onset. Such pain sensations have a clear localization. When the underlying cause is eliminated, the pain either decreases or disappears completely. Acute pain is always warning in nature. It occurs when tissues, bones are damaged, and suppuration occurs. Also, acute pain syndrome can occur when the functions of internal organs are impaired. In this case, the pain is not always clearly localized, which makes diagnosis somewhat difficult. But based on various additional symptoms, its cause is also established in the shortest possible time. Typically, acute pain does not last long.
Chronic pain
Chronic pain is always associated with damage, inflammation of tissue or nerve fibers. As a result, it can persist for a long time or recur periodically. It is noteworthy that pain can persist even after the cause of its occurrence has been eliminated or after tissue damage has healed.
This type of pain is not a defensive reaction, but it leads to severe discomfort. Chronic pain affects a person’s psychological state and significantly impairs the quality of life. If stimulation of pain receptors occurs continuously for some reason, then the sensitivity threshold may decrease, which means that even non-pain impulses will no longer cause pain. Sometimes the development of chronic pain occurs against the background of untreated acute pain.
Kidneys
This condition can easily be confused with common back pain. Unpleasant sensations arise in the lower part, and the discomfort gradually increases. At the same time, a dull, pulling pain is felt under the ribs, intensifying when pressed and radiating to the legs.
The main difference is that with kidney disease, the pain under the ribs is much more noticeable than it can be with muscle spasms. Also, with diseased kidneys, slight numbness of the thigh muscles is possible.
What is pain, its meaning
Pain was first characterized by ancient Greek and Roman physicians as a sign of inflammatory damage.
Today there are several definitions that help us understand what pain is. Most often it is characterized as a psychophysical state of a person, which is a characteristic reaction to various organic and functional disorders caused by the action of various stimuli. Pain is also defined as an unpleasant sensation when dysfunction occurs in the body against the background of a malfunction of various organs and systems. The main function of pain is the mobilization of internal defensive reactions to combat a certain pathology.
Considering all of the above, you can understand what pain is and draw conclusions:
- On the one hand, pain is a defensive reaction that forces the body to fight pathologies.
- On the other hand, pain is a warning factor that focuses attention on incipient disorders in the body.
Appendix
A sign of appendicitis is a sharp, paroxysmal pain in the lower abdomen, mainly on the right. When pressed, it intensifies and radiates to the back.
The difficulty of recognition lies in the fact that the pain can affect the entire area of the stomach or its individual parts, and sometimes it reaches the area of the right rib.
Inflammation of the appendix is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever and general weakness.
Causes of lower abdominal pain in women
Women are much more likely to experience discomfort in the lower abdomen, which manifests itself with varying intensity in all representatives of the fair sex. We are talking about premenstrual pain that periodically occurs during certain phases of the cycle. Such pains often have the nature of spasms and do not require treatment (except in rare cases when the pain bothers the woman very much). However, to alleviate the condition, doctors recommend taking antispasmodics prescribed by a gynecologist.
Other causes of pain in the lower abdomen are serious diseases that require medical attention and treatment:
- Inflammation of the reproductive organs: in the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, vagina.
- Menalgia or algodismenorrhea are pathologies in which women experience severe pain in the lower abdomen at a certain phase of the menstrual cycle.
- Infectious diseases and intoxications.
- Fusion of the cervical canal, which leads to impaired blood flow during menstruation.
- Rupture of the ovary with or without hemorrhage into the peritoneum.
- Enlarging uterine fibroids, especially towards the peritoneum or uterus, or necrosis of its tissue.
- Cyst rupture.
- Torsion of the pedicles of the uterine appendages or cysts located in the pelvic area.
- Endometriosis, parametritis or adnexitis.
- Incorrectly installed intrauterine device.
In some cases, women experience pain in the lower abdomen due to taking medications that contain hormones, for example, oral contraceptives. In such cases, hyperstimulation of ovarian function is observed, which provokes pain. For this reason, at an appointment with a gynecologist with complaints of pain in the lower abdomen, it is necessary to report all medications that the woman has taken in recent months.
Pancreas
Problems with the pancreas are indicated by pain in the middle and upper abdomen. However, they can spread to the entire stomach.
The fact that the problem really is with the pancreas is indicated by increased pain after eating or while sleeping on your back. The upper abdomen hurts, gradually the discomfort intensifies, affecting the back.
Mechanism of action on the human body
The mechanism of pain is a very complex process. What we call pain is due to the intricate interaction of many neurotransmitters. These biological substances transmit nerve impulses between different cells of the body.
In the human body, the mechanism of pain is directly related to the functioning of the nociceptive system. Its functions in a simplified representation are as follows. First, pain receptors are irritated due to some external influence. For example, this could be pressure, an injection, a cut or a burn. After this, reception occurs, that is, certain types of stimuli are converted into nerve impulses that are transmitted along afferent fibers to the spinal cord.
In this case, various afferent fibers can be involved:
- A-Delta
fibers form free nerve endings and are branched. They are found on the skin, at both ends of the digestive tract, and in the joints. It is believed that acute pain that occurs for various reasons is transmitted through them. - C - fibers
They are special nerve formations distributed evenly throughout all tissues. It is believed that pain impulses arising from chronic pathologies are transmitted through them.
Pelvic organs
Sharp or aching pain in the lower abdomen may indicate problems with the ovaries in women or the prostate in men. When pressed, it does not intensify and is relieved by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It worsens with hypothermia and may be accompanied by discharge and a slight increase in temperature.
If any severe pain occurs, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. The therapist will assess the patient’s condition and give a referral to a specialist. You should not self-medicate: painkillers partially relieve symptoms, but cannot eliminate the cause. Doctors warn: in some cases, the hours count. The sooner you seek help, the higher the chance of a complete cure.
Types of pain
It is customary to distinguish two types of pain: physiological
and
pathological
.
Physiological
Physiological pain is always the body’s reaction to the manifestation of any illness. As a rule, it is a symptom that makes it easy to diagnose certain disorders in the human body.
Physiological pain can be caused by various effects on the skin and mucous membranes. In addition, physiological pain occurs during internal pathological processes. Very often it is acute. It is a signal of danger that threatens life or disrupts the balance of the body.
Pathological
Pathological pain occurs when there is an altered perception of pain impulses. As a rule, this happens with certain disorders in the cortical and subcortical parts of the central nervous system.
Even if the underlying disease that provokes pain is diagnosed, it is not always possible to get rid of pathological pain. This is due to the fact that when this type of pain occurs, certain disturbances in the psychological state are formed. This can lead to the development of depression and other psychosomatic disorders in the patient.
Diagnostics
The following types of research are especially valuable for identifying the cause of the disease and finding treatment methods for pathologies of the abdominal cavity:
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. One of the most prompt measures in diagnosing diseases of the abdominal and pelvic organs and identifying the cause of abdominal pain is ultrasound diagnostics. Using ultrasound, you can identify pathologies of the liver, gall bladder, spleen, kidneys, uterus, and ovaries. Many people wonder whether the stomach and intestines are visible on an ultrasound. The stomach cannot be examined using ultrasound; the intestines cannot be examined partially. If the equipment has good resolution, for example, volumetric formations in this area are visible.
- FGDS (gastroscopy, probing, intestinal swallowing) is a diagnostic method that can be used to obtain an objective picture of the condition of the stomach, duodenum, and esophagus. If necessary, you can immediately conduct a rapid test for Helicobacter pylori (the cause of the development of ulcers), do cytology and biopsy to exclude the oncological nature of the disease, and determine “acidity”.
- X-ray. An old, but still practiced method of diagnosis. It can be used as an emergency measure to examine the stomach if for some reason an FGDS cannot be done. In addition, x-rays are informative in identifying diseases accompanied by symptoms of intestinal obstruction. Depending on the nature of the patient’s pain and complaints, traditional X-rays or contrast-enhanced X-rays (irrigoscopy) may be used.
- MRI is a progressive diagnostic method for abdominal injuries, liver enlargement, and an uninformative picture of the abdominal cavity on ultrasound (for example, due to severe flatulence).
- Colonoscopy. One of the most accurate methods for examining the intestines. This is done using a fiber colonoscope. Using the device, you can examine everything - even the most complex areas, including the inner surface of the colon.
- Cholescintigraphy . Isotopic study. It is carried out using a radiopharmacological drug. Informative for problems with the gallbladder and bile ducts.
- Blood, urine and canal analysis . In the blood test, special emphasis is placed on ESR (inflammation can be determined by the erythrocyte sedimentation rate), biochemical indicators, and in many types of examinations for abdominal pain, stool is examined for occult blood.
