Ow! You’re just going about your day when suddenly,
you’re hit with a wave of pain. What’s your body trying to tell you? And why does it have to hurt you to do it? Here are twenty things you never knew about
pain. #20. Pain Is Your Body’s Warning System Remember as a kid, when you decided to touch
the stove? Your hand only glanced it for half a second
before you pulled it away in pain and wound up with a blister - and a stinging lecture
from mom about safety. This was a case where pain was very useful
- as soon as you touched something that could hurt you, your pain receptors kicked in and
sent the very strong message that you should stop before you caused more serious damage. This nerve signal indicates to the body that
it should withdraw from a damaging stimulus immediately and avoid it in the future - saving
you a lot of future pain. But not every pain serves a useful purpose. #19. What the Hurt? There’s another kind of pain that just seems
to linger, even when there’s nothing on the surface causing it. This is called chronic pain, and it lasts
more than three to six months. It can be caused by problems in the body’s
various systems, but it’s most often caused by the nervous system. Something gets damaged, and the brain or spinal
cord sends signals to a part of the body that indicates - something’s wrong here. Solving or relieving chronic pain can be tricky,
and sufferers often spend a lot of time visiting doctors to try to find the right combo of
therapy or medication to make their pain finally go away. But there’s another cause for chronic pain
- and it comes for all of us. #18. What’s Eating Grandma? Have you ever heard your grandparent complaining
about their back, or knees, or...well, everything? Probably, and there’s a reason for that
- chronic pain tends to come with age. That’s because just like your car or computer,
our bodies wear out after a while - but getting new parts isn’t as easy as going to the
store. Joints are particularly vulnerable to this,
because the cartilage and muscle used to make sure everything moves smoothly wears out before
the bone does - which can make swinging the knees or other parts a lot rougher and more
painful. Thankfully, doctors can now implant artificial
joints so grandparents everywhere can start dancing the night away with less pain. But can pain actually be a sign of something
good? #17. Feel the Burn! If you’ve ever lifted weights or tried to
break your own record on the track, you probably know you can feel pretty rough afterwards. Your muscles are cramping up, it can be hard
to move, and you just want to lie down and watch some TV for a while. But after a little, it passes - and you actually
feel stronger. This is because working your muscles causes
a build-up of lactic acid, which makes them tighten up and more painful to move them. It relieves itself after a little while and
they wind up stronger in the long run. Just be careful you’re not overdoing it
- if you’re spending hours in bed because it’s too painful to move after a workout,
you might be going too hard too fast. But that’s not the only workout-related
pain. #16. Hip to the Burn Have you ever gone for a run, and suddenly
the front of your hip starts hurting? This doesn’t always come with running too
hard, and it doesn’t seem like there’s a recurring injury - but it’s painful enough
to stop you in your tracks. This is the hip flexor region, and it can
be caused by a number of things. It can be the sign of a more serious problem
like a stress fracture or hernia, but most often it’s a hip flexor strain - which is
often caused by overuse or a lack of proper stretching. The best way to avoid this is to rest, take
some anti-inflammatories if you need them, and do some exercises to increase your mobility
before you get back on the track. But sometimes this pain isn’t as straightforward. Sometimes it’s not the hip. Sometimes it’s above it, in the side - a
pain called a side stitch. It’s most common during running, but it
can happen during any intense activity like swimming or horseback riding. It’s not caused by any specific injury,
but it’s common enough that it affects two-thirds of runners per year. The pain is usually gone by the time the athlete
gets it checked out - but while it’s going on it’s an intense shooting pain that can
stop an athlete in their tracks! So what causes it? Serious shooting pain in the side can be a
sign of a major problem like appendicitis, but in most cases the pain of a side stitch
disappears quickly after the athlete stops running. Most sports medicine experts believe the cause
is an irritation of the abdominal lining or the ligaments surrounding the diaphragm, and
can be relieved by stopping, breathing deeply, and putting some pressure on the area. But one other factor can affect it - it’s
been proven to happen more often to people who eat or drink something sweet before running. Might want to cut out that pre-workout cola. Running can cause pain, no surprise - but
what about homework? #15. It’s All In the Wrist You’re typing away on that report that’s
due...well, best not to look at that. Then, suddenly, a shooting pain in your wrist
hits you, and your fingers seem to be getting numb. That’s going to make it difficult to type. This is one of the most common repetitive-stress
injuries - and it doesn’t hit athletes, but office workers. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome happens when the median
nerve gets compressed as it sends signals from the wrists to the fingers. It can be linked to rheumatoid arthritis,
but the most common cause is repetitive work involving the wrists. It can be alleviated by injections and splints,
but surgery is an option for more serious pain. But what about pain that isn’t there at
all? #14. Ooh, Ghosts. Spooky. When someone has an amputation - be it due
to chronic issues or a sudden injury - at least they don’t have to worry about pain
there anymore. They can get a prosthetic and move on with
their life...right? Not always. Many amputees find themselves experiencing
serious pain in their limb - even though the limb isn’t there anymore! Over eighty percent of amputation patients
report feeling some strange sensation in their missing limb, which indicates it’s a common
response to an unusual nerve stimulus - and the body has to adjust its nerve reactions
before this bizarre response resolves itself. It’s not the only case where pain involves
psychological stimuli. #13. Calm Down Already! Pain is largely a physical response to your
body either sending or receiving messages - but it has a mental element too. It causes you stress, which leads to frustration
and fear. This is especially common with chronic pain,
where it’s not clear what’s actually causing the pain or how to stop it. The problem is, stress can actually heighten
the body’s pain response and make it more difficult to focus and solve the problem. If you doubt this, try solving a math problem
while getting shocked with a joy buzzer repeatedly. One of the best ways to cut down on pain,
though, might be surprising. #12. Get Smoked! You know what causes stress? Pain! You know what many people use to relieve stress? Smoking! The problem is, it’s doing the exact opposite
of relieving pain. Smoking is actually a serious risk for people
with chronic pain caused by conditions like fibromyalgia. That’s because smoking decreases the blood
flow going to joints and can actually delay the healing of injuries. That’s why doctors will often tell people
not to smoke before or after surgery. It can also interfere with some medications,
so it may be time to think about quitting. But that’s not the only unexpected thing
that can enhance pain. #11. What’s For Lunch? One of the biggest culprits in chronic pain
is inflammation. While this redness and swelling is actually
a sign of your body healing in most circumstances, it can be too much of a good thing - causing
consistent pain and difficulty with moving. And it can actually be caused by what you
eat. Processed and fried foods and refined grains
and sugars can lead to increased inflammation, as can alcohol - definitely a downside for
those looking to drink their pain away. But for those looking to reduce inflammation,
healthy fats and proteins and many fruits and vegetables can help. But one unlikely thing can actually help to
relieve pain. #10. Get Moving! We know - the last thing you want to do when
you’re in pain is to get up. That couch is awfully inviting and there are
a lot of shows to binge-watch on your thirty streaming services. But studies have proven that sitting or lying
down while in pain can make the pain worse. When you do actually have to get up, the pain
might be too intense. Instead of waiting for moving to become essential,
it’s best to keep moving and change position occasionally - especially since moving can
produce the pain-killing brain chemicals called endorphins, giving you a similar effect to
many pain medications. But if you’re looking to relieve pain, there’s
another...more exciting way. #9. Get Busy! There’s few pains harder to get rid of than
a migraine. These chronic headaches can make it impossible
to focus on anything, and the last thing you want to do is be active. But one type of activity may have an unexpected
benefit. If you’ve got a ready-and-willing partner,
the best medicine for a migraine may be a roll in the hay. While it might not be a natural activity - after
all, how many times has someone said “Not tonight, I have a headache.”. But a majority says that sex relieves their
symptoms during a migraine attack - and the culprit is the same endorphins that are released
by exercise. But sometimes the cure is worse than the pain. #8. That Stings! Remember when you skinned your knee as a kid? It hurt - and then your folks said they had
to clean it, and they used rubbing alcohol? Now THAT set your knee on fire! Why the heck does rubbing alcohol hurt so
much? It does its job, but the problem is that the
cut or scrape exposes the nerve cells under the skin. These are the cells that usually have the
job of detecting extremely hot temperature. When exposed to alcohol, their pain threshold
gets lowered - and it’s not the alcohol that causes the pain, but your own body temperature! They’re doing their job a little too well. And that’s not the only time something good
betrays you and causes pain. #7. Brr...Ow! There’s nothing like an ice cream cone on
a hot summer day, or a slurpee or Italian ice. You’re digging into a frozen treat when
suddenly - ow! It’s like a jackhammer going off in your
brain! You’ve fallen prey to the notorious brain
freeze, but your brain hasn’t actually frozen. This condition - actually called Sphenopalatine
ganglioneuraligia - happens because the pain receptors in the mouth are linked to the ones
in your forehead. Thus, the signals get crossed and when your
mouth gets the news that something’s too hot, it gets transmitted to the brain. Oh, well. That ice cream still looks pretty good! But some food could cause more lasting pain
in the past. #6. Pass the Meat Usually, kings had access to doctors who could
help them avoid or treat many common diseases. But one disease was so common among royals
that it became known as the disease of kings - Gout. This painful disease, which involves serious
pain and swelling in the joints, was caused by a buildup of uric acid in the blood - a
condition caused by too much rich food and drink. That wasn’t something peasants had to worry
about. But this disease wasn’t new - evidence of
it has been found in the bones of Tyrannosaurus Rex - who definitely had a meat-heavy diet. But not everyone experiences pain the same. #5. War of the Sexes You’ve probably seen men and women handle
pain differently. Maybe dad cursed up a storm after hitting
his thumb with a hammer, while mom finished dinner before washing out that burn. But there actually is a biological difference
in the way men and women feel pain - and surprisingly, it’s the women who feel more pain. Studies show that women have more nerve receptors
than men, and report being in pain to their doctors more often. This has led to a common problem where some
doctors dismiss women when they report being in pain - after all, they’ve never felt
the same thing. Everyone feels pain differently - and some
doctors have adapted. #4. Rate Your Pain! Rate your pain? I’d probably give it a zero! It stinks! But rating pain usually means ranking it on
a scale of how severe it is - a tool that more doctors have begun using. It’s especially useful for child patients,
who may not be able to describe their symptoms effectively, or chronic pain sufferers. Scales can vary - with some meant for kids
even using different types of frowny face - but most have a similar purpose. If someone rates their pain on the low end
of the scale, they can usually go about daily activities only mildly bothered. Someone on the high end may not even be able
to get out of bed. But some animals have an unusual relationship
with pain. #3. Snakebitten It’s one of the deadliest animals in the
world - the Black Mamba. This venomous snake packs a powerful, potentially
fatal bite. So one would assume it’s pretty painful
when this creature bites you, right? Wrong! The Black Mamba’s venom actually contains
pain-relieving compounds that may be more effective than morphine. Scientists are working on developing it as
a painkiller - as long as they can separate it from the toxic parts. And hey, for one of the most venomous snakes
in the world, he actually looks pretty friendly. But some animals don’t feel pain in a normal
way either. #2. Not Your Average Rat The naked mole rat is atypical in a lot of
ways. It’s a small, bald rodent that is mostly
blind and lives underground in large colonies that resemble insect societies in some ways. They also don’t seem to have the same pain
receptors as humans despite being mammals - studies show they don’t feel pain when
affected by acid or chili peppers. This has gotten scientists pretty interested
in how these critters can provide human pain relief, and they’re not the only animals
who lack certain pain receptors. A 2005 report said lobsters don’t feel pain
when boiled - a relief to diners everywhere, even if it’s still hotly debated. But a very small number of people are in the
same boat. #1. Feeling No Pain It’s a very rare genetic mutation, with
a small number of people worldwide - including a cluster in a Swedish village - having the
bizarre medical condition that makes them unable to feel pain. While they can tell temperatures, their pain
receptors don’t work - making them uniquely vulnerable. A too-hot piece of metal can turn into a third-degree
burn if the body doesn’t warn you to pull away. A painful stress fracture in the leg can go
undetected in someone without pain until it suddenly breaks. These people have to keep on top of their
health like no one else, because their body doesn’t give them warning signs. Your pain is like an alarm clock - no one
is happy to see it, but it’s better than the alternative. Check out “The Worst Pain Ever? These Injuries Will Make You Cry Like a Baby”
for more pain facts, or watch this episode instead.
