To pain Pain is one of the most common complaints in clinical practice, but also one of the most complex. Experienced by everyone at some point in their lives, pain can come on suddenly or last for months, profoundly affecting physical and emotional well-being.
In this article, we explain 5 essential factors that influence pain and how osteopathy can be an ally in your treatment - especially in cases of chronic painwhen the discomfort no longer depends solely on a physical injury.
1. type of pain: acute or chronic?
The first essential distinction is between acute pain and chronic pain:
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Acute pain is the kind that appears after an injury, such as a sprain, fracture or inflammation, and tends to disappear as the tissues heal.
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Chronic pain persists for more than 3 months, even without an obvious injury. In this case, the nervous system continues to send pain signals, often for no apparent reason.
2. How is Pain Perceived?
The pain starts in the nociceptors - sensors located in the body's tissues. When there is a threat or damage, these send signals to the brain. The problem arises when, even without injury, the brain continues to interpret these signals as pain. This phenomenon is known as central sensitisationA change in the way the nervous system responds to stimuli.
3. The Role of the Neuromatrix
Pain doesn't just depend on the part of the body affected, but also on how the brain processes this information. A neuromatrix is a brain network that involves areas related to emotions, memory, stress and previous experiences. For this reason, pain can be intensified by emotional states such as anxiety, sadness or fear - making treatment more complex and multidimensional.
4. Nociplastic pain
One of the most challenging types is the nociplastic painIn this case, the brain amplifies normal signals and reacts with pain even though there is no damage. For example: a simple touch, a slight movement or an everyday gesture that was previously harmless starts to cause discomfort.
5. How Can Osteopathy Help?
To osteopathy approaches pain with an integrated view of the body, recognising that a local dysfunction may have causes at a distance - whether in posture, visceral mobility or the nervous system. By assessing the patient as a whole, the osteopath identifies patterns of compensation, stiffness or tension that may be perpetuating the pain, even without active injury.
Techniques such as myofascial release, joint manipulation, visceral mobilisation and re-education of the autonomic nervous system are applied to reduce pain and restore balance. In addition, osteopathy also acts on emotional and metabolic factors that influence the perception of pain, promoting a deeper and longer-lasting recovery.
Together with physiotherapyOsteopathy, which works on functional rehabilitation and strengthening the body, offers a complete treatment for reduce pain in a lasting and natural way.
Conclusion
Pain goes beyond a physical response - it's a personal experience, influenced by neurological, emotional and functional factors. Understanding the mechanisms behind pain is essential to finding the most effective solution. If you're dealing with persistent pain, the Osteopathy can be a powerful tool to restore balance to your body and improve your quality of life.
We've already talked about pain in other posts such as :
Chronic Pain Relief is a truth
Recovery from acute pain is a right
And we'll continue to develop this topic of interest, because that's exactly why we're in demand every day. A OsteoSalvaPAIN our mission is to help with all pain processes, restoring function and quality of life to those who believe in us.
It is, however, a complex subject that needs a lot of knowledge to be explained properly. Here our colleagues explain different causes of pain.
