Recognize Pain in the Body

Pain often occurs in the body. Pain is an unpleasant sensation, ranging from mild discomfort to unbearable and excruciating pain. Pain occurs when external or internal triggers stimulate tissue and trigger the onset of pain. However, pain is actually necessary as a warning signal to protect oneself from further damage.

Types of pain:

1. Nociceptive pain - pain caused by tissue damage through pain mediators, affecting the skin, bones, joints, soft tissue, etc.
2. Neuropathic pain - pain caused by nerve damage or dysfunction such as in Diabetes, Herpes Zoster or HNP.
3. Psychogenic pain - pain due to psychological influences.

Some examples of pain cases commonly found in the field of orthopedics:

1. Myalgia/Muscle Pain

Muscle pain or better known as soreness. Causes include overactivity, injury, psychological factors, and certain diseases. Treatment:

• Rest the area of the body part that experiencing pain
• Use pain relievers such as Paracetamol
• Use a warming cream with light massage to relieve muscle tension
• Apply a cold compress to the painful area to reduce inflammation, especially pain due to injury.
• Do light stretching or exercise that can relieve stress such as meditation or yoga
• Do not lift excess weight, especially in the area experiencing pain
• Consult a doctor immediately.

2. Lateral Epicondylitis/Lower elbow pain

Pain in the lower elbow, often occurs in people over 35 years old and is most commonly found in people aged 40-50 years. Causes include sports that require repetitive movements, overuse or improper mechanisms on the tendon of the arm muscles that function to perform extension or rotate the arm.

Symptoms include pain in the lower elbow that radiates to the upper arm or to the outer side of the lower arm. Pain often increases with elbow joint movement, lifting light objects such as a cup with a stretched arm can cause pain.

Treatment:

• Rest the affected elbow area
• Use pain or anti-inflammatory medication
• Apply cold compress to the affected area
• Use support in the affected muscle area
• Consult a doctor immediately

3. Knee Pain

Knee pain is a sensation of pain that occurs in a certain part of the knee. The pain can originate from the knee joint, kneecap, ligaments, or muscles around the knee. The symptoms of pain can be mild, but sometimes it can be extremely painful. Knee pain can be experienced at various ages but it is most commonly experienced by the elderly.

The most common cause of pain in young people is due to sports injuries or trauma. Meanwhile, in the elderly, calcification (osteoarthritis) is the most common cause. Symptoms of knee pain include:

• Pain that arises during certain movements such as going down stairs, squatting, and bearing weight
• Pain that may be accompanied by swelling and slight heat around the knee
• An audible clicking sound when the knee is moved
• May be accompanied by locking symptoms, which are difficulty or inability to move the knee

The causes vary, such as:

• Trauma
• Meniscus injury (knee cushion)
• Osteoarthritis
• Abnormal knee shape

Risk factors that can increase knee pain are:

• Overweight
• Lack of muscle strength
• Sports injuries, general activity injuries

Examinations that need to be carried out include:

• Knee X-rays
• Blood tests
• Knee MRI

Treatment includes:

• Stop activities that cause injury
• Be careful during activities
• Reduce body weight if overweight
• Consult a doctor if the pain does not subside.

– dr. Kiki Novito, Sp. OT (K)