Are pain and suffering the same?

Joseph R. Carcione Jr., DO

Clinical Neurophysiology

Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional - always seek behavioral medicine/psychiatric care for chronic pain conditions.

Continue Learning about Pain

When you live with chronic musculoskeletal pain, exercising might be the last thing you feel like doing. But it pays to keep moving. Workouts encourag...

Louis B. Cantor, MD

Pain around the eye is not normal. While many of the causes of nonspecific pain around the eye may n...

What's your body trying to tell you?

Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.

Pain

Pain is your body telling you that you have hurt it. This is a good thing, important when you are injured. It can also help diagnose problems with your body. Sometimes pain continues long after it's necessary. Amputees report phantom pain in the legs or arms they no longer have. There are different kinds of pain, and describing the type is useful in diagnosis: recurring, constant, steady, knife-like, radiating, sharp, dull. Medicines that dull pain are analgesics. Those that kill all feeling are anesthetics.

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