Pain Quiz: Test Your IQ of Pain
Medically speaking, the term "myalgia" refers to what type of pain?
The definition of myalgia is muscle pain.
Pain in an area where a limb has been amputated is referred to as...
Phantom pain refers to pain that seems to come from a limb that has been amputated. The amputation site contains nerve endings that continue to send pain signals to the brain, even though the limb is no longer there. This type of pain is most common soon after surgery, and tends to lessen within 6 months, though some people still experience phantom pain for years.
Pain relievers work by calming irritated nerves.
Pain relievers don't actually work where your pain is; they work on your brain and interfere with it sending pain signals throughout the body.
What causes us to feel pain?
The body has sensory nerves that communicate with your brain telling it what hurts, and how much.
The terms "arthralgia" and "neuralgia" refer to pain located where?
"Algia" comes from the Greek "algos," which means pain. "Arthr(o)" refers to joints, and "neur(o)" refers to nerves. Thus, arthralgia is joint pain, and neuralgia is nerve pain.
Does the brain feel pain?
The brain is the organ that helps us detect pain in parts of our body, but the brain itself has no pain receptors and cannot feel pain.
Knees are the most common site of joint pain.
The most common site of joint pain is the knee, followed by the shoulders, fingers, and hips.
Chronic pain is the kind of pain that is resistant to medical treatments.
Pain that is resistant to medical treatment is chronic pain, also referred to as chronic pain syndrome. Chronic pain is generally defined as pain that lasts at least 12 weeks. While chronic pain cannot be cured, it can sometimes be managed. If medications do not help manage the pain, acupuncture, electrical stimulation, nerve blocks, and surgery may be used. Psychotherapy, relaxation techniques, behavior modification, biofeedback, medication, tai chi, and massage therapies may also provide some relief.
The medical community measures pain on a scale of zero to 10.
Doctors measure pain on a scale of zero to 10. This can help your health care provider get a true sense of the pain you are in, and how best to treat it. Zero means no pain, while 10 is excruciating pain, the worst you have ever experienced, that could cause you to pass out. Levels 1 through 3 are mild pain that does not interfere with most activities. Pain on a scale of 4 to 6 ranges from distressing to intense and may interfere with some activities. Pain in the range of 7 to 10 is severe and so intense you cannot function.
The pain reliever morphine is derived from which substance?
Morphine is a narcotic pain reliever derived from opium. It is an opium alkaloid that comes from the poppy plant. It is one of the most effective drugs used for relief of severe pain. The name "morphine" comes from "Morpheus," the mythological son of sleep and the god of dreams.
Narcotic medications are used to induce stupor.
The term "narcotic" is derived from the Greek word narkotikon, which means "to make numb." Narcotics are used in medicine to relieve pain by numbing the senses. Preoperatively, they may be given to reduce anxiety. They also act as cough suppressants and anti-diarrheal medications. Narcotics are also highly addictive, and people can become dependent on them.
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Sources:
Translational Pain Research: From Mouse to Man (Book, chapter 11).
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK57253/>
MedlinePlus, USNLM: Phantom Limb Pain.
<https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000050.htm>
Amputee Coalition. Managing Phantom Pain.
<http://www.amputee-coalition.org/limb-loss-resource-center/resources-for-pain-management/managing-phantom-pain>
Kidshealth.org: How Do Pain Relievers Work?
<http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/ibupro.html?tracking=K_RelatedArticle>
Kidshealth.org: Why Do I Have Pain?
<http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/pain.html>
MedlinePlus: Knee Pain.
<https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003187.htm>
MedlinePlus: Arthralgia and Neuralgia
<http://www.merriam-webster.com/medlineplus/neuralgia>
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: NINDS Chronic Pain Information Page.
<http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chronic_pain/chronic_pain.htm>
NIH Medline Plus. Chronic Pain: Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment
<https://medlineplus.gov/magazine/issues/spring11/articles/spring11pg5-6.html>
NIH: Patient Education – Working Together to Relieve Your Pain.
<http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/patient_education/pepubs/relievepain.pdf>
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. 0 – 10 Pain Scale.
<https://lane.stanford.edu/portals/cvicu/HCP_Neuro_Tab_4/0-10_Pain_Scale.pdf>
USNLM Medline Plus: Morphine.
<https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682133.html>
NIDA InfoFacts: Heroin.
<http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/heroin.html>
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Narcotics.
<http://www.justice.gov/dea/concern/narcotics.html>
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