What are the different classifications of pain?
Authors: Jaashing He , Hannah Goodings | Reviewer: Darryl Caves | Published: 7 June 2023 | Updated: ~
Shoulder pain can be grouped into two categories: neuropathic (nerve) pain and mechanical (muscle, joint and bone) pain and their treatments are different.
Neuropathic pain results from disease or damage to the nervous system (brain, spinal cord and/or nerves). This pain is often described as pins and needles, shooting electrical sensations, stabbing, coldness, burning and increased sensitivity.
Mechanical pain is related to pain from damaged joints (blue), bones (grey) or muscles (pink).4
Mechanical pain is pain that occurs when tissues (bone, joint, ligament, tendon, muscle) are pushed beyond the load they can handle, also known as exceeding their tissue capacity. This can be from a sudden event or misuse (overuse, repetitive) of the shoulder and can lead to damage of these tissues resulting in pain or injury. Tissue capacities can become more resilient with increased strength and movement training. They can also become less resilient with disuse, aging, or metabolic conditions such as poorly managed diabetes. A large decrease in activity for the shoulder can lead to decreased tissue capacity and can result in a higher likelihood for injuries and pain.
Mechanical pain can help guide us to understand when a tissue may be near its capacity and our activities should be adjusted to allow for rest and recovery. Sometimes pain will continue despite rest and become an unhelpful signal.
Refer to our article on Pain for more information!
