Pain Glossary
Clear definitions of pain terms, tests, and treatments.
A
Ablation
A procedure that treats pain by disrupting the nerves responsible for sending pain signals to the brain. In pain medicine, the most common type is radiofrequency ablation (RFA), which uses heat to provide longer-lasting relief for certain chronic pain conditions.
Acetaminophen
A commonly used medication for mild to moderate pain and fever. It helps relieve pain but, unlike many other pain medicines, it does not reduce inflammation.
Achilles Tendinopathy
A condition affecting the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. It can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling around the back of the ankle, especially during walking, running, or climbing stairs.
Acute Pain
Pain that starts suddenly and usually lasts for a short period of time. It often occurs after an injury, surgery, or illness and typically improves as the body heals.
Adjuvant Analgesics
Medications that were originally developed for conditions other than pain but are also effective at treating certain types of pain. Examples include some antidepressants and anti-seizure medications used for nerve pain.
Allodynia
Pain caused by something that normally should not be painful, such as a light touch, clothing brushing against the skin, or a gentle breeze. It is commonly seen in conditions involving nerve pain, fibromyalgia, and migraine.
Analgesia
The reduction or complete relief of pain. Analgesia can be achieved through medications, medical procedures, physical therapy, or other pain treatments.
Analgesic
Any medication or treatment used to relieve pain. Analgesics include over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen, as well as prescription medications and certain interventional procedures.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
A long-term inflammatory disease that mainly affects the spine and sacroiliac joints. It often causes chronic back pain and stiffness that is typically worse in the morning and improves with movement.
Anti-inflammatory Medication
A medication that reduces inflammation, swelling, and pain. Common examples include ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, and celecoxib.
Arthrogram
A special imaging test in which contrast dye is injected into a joint before an MRI or CT scan. It helps doctors identify problems involving cartilage, ligaments, tendons, or the joint capsule.
Arthritis
A group of conditions that affect the joints, causing pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced movement. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are two of the most common types.
Arthroscopy
A minimally invasive surgical procedure that uses a tiny camera to look inside a joint. It can help diagnose and treat painful conditions affecting the knee, shoulder, hip, ankle, and other joints.
Axial Pain
Pain that remains in the neck or back without spreading into the arms or legs. It usually originates from structures such as muscles, ligaments, discs, or joints within the spine.
B
Back Pain
Pain felt anywhere along the spine, from the neck to the lower back. It is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care and may arise from muscles, joints, discs, nerves, or other structures.
Baker’s Cyst
A fluid-filled swelling that develops behind the knee, often as a result of arthritis or a knee injury. It can cause tightness, swelling, and discomfort, especially when bending or straightening the knee.
Baseline Pain
The usual or ongoing level of pain a person experiences on a day-to-day basis. Healthcare professionals use this term to distinguish regular pain from sudden pain flare-ups.
Biofeedback
A therapy that teaches you how to control certain body functions, such as muscle tension, breathing, and heart rate. It may help some people better manage chronic pain, headaches, and stress-related pain.
Bone Marrow Edema
An area of increased fluid within the bone seen on an MRI scan. It may be associated with injury, arthritis, inflammation, or stress fractures and can sometimes be a source of pain.
Bone Scan
A medical imaging test that helps detect changes in bone activity. It may be used to identify stress fractures, infections, arthritis, or certain cancers that are causing pain.
Bone Spur (Osteophyte)
A small bony growth that develops around a joint or along the spine, usually due to aging or arthritis. While many bone spurs cause no symptoms, some can irritate nearby nerves or limit joint movement.
Brachial Plexus
A network of nerves that carries signals from the neck to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injury or compression of these nerves can cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness.
Brachial Plexus Block
A procedure in which local anesthetic is injected around the brachial plexus nerves to numb the shoulder, arm, or hand. It is commonly used during surgery and can also provide pain relief.
Breakthrough Pain
A sudden increase in pain that occurs despite otherwise well-controlled chronic pain. These episodes are often short-lived but can be intense and may require additional treatment.
Bruise (Contusion)
An injury caused by bleeding beneath the skin after a blow or impact. Bruises often cause tenderness, swelling, and discoloration but usually heal without long-term problems.
Bursa
A small, fluid-filled sac that cushions bones, tendons, muscles, and ligaments around joints. Healthy bursae help reduce friction and allow smooth movement.
Bursitis
Inflammation of a bursa, the small fluid-filled sac that cushions joints. It commonly affects the shoulder, hip, elbow, and knee, causing pain and swelling that often worsens with movement or pressure.
Buttock Pain
Pain felt in the buttock area that may come from muscles, the sacroiliac joint, the hip, or referred pain from the lower spine or sciatic nerve. It can range from a dull ache to sharp, shooting pain and may be worse with sitting, walking, or climbing stairs.
C
Canal Stenosis
Narrowing of the space inside the spine where the spinal cord and nerves travel. This can put pressure on the nerves, often causing pain, numbness, or weakness in the arms or legs, especially with standing or walking.
Capsaicin
A substance found in chili peppers that can be used in creams or patches to help reduce certain types of pain, especially nerve and joint pain. It works by affecting pain nerves in the skin so they send fewer pain signals over time.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
A condition where the median nerve is squeezed as it passes through a narrow tunnel in the wrist. It can cause pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the hand and fingers, often worse at night or with repetitive hand use.
Catastrophising
A pattern of thinking where you imagine the worst possible outcome and feel unable to cope. In pain, this can make symptoms feel more intense and overwhelming, even though the thoughts themselves are not your fault.
Cauda Equina Syndrome
A rare but serious condition where the bundle of nerves at the bottom of the spinal cord is severely compressed. It can cause severe back pain, leg weakness, numbness around the genitals, and problems with bladder or bowel control, and needs emergency medical care.
Central Sensitisation
A change in the brain and spinal cord where the nervous system becomes extra sensitive to pain signals. This can make pain feel stronger, last longer, or appear even when there is no clear injury, as seen in some chronic pain conditions.
Cervical Radiculopathy
Pain and other symptoms caused by a nerve in the neck being pinched or irritated. It can lead to neck pain that spreads into the shoulder, arm, or hand, often with numbness, tingling, or weakness in the affected arm.
Cervical Spine
The part of the spine that forms the neck, made up of seven small bones called vertebrae. It supports the head, protects the spinal cord, and allows a wide range of neck movement.
Chronic Pain
Pain that lasts longer than three months or continues beyond the expected time of healing. It may be constant or come and go, and can affect sleep, mood, movement, and day-to-day activities.
Codeine
A mild opioid pain medication sometimes used for short-term relief of moderate pain or to reduce coughing. It can cause side effects like drowsiness and constipation and may be habit-forming if used for too long or in high doses.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
A type of talking therapy that helps you notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. In chronic pain, CBT can teach practical skills to cope better, reduce distress, and improve daily functioning, even if the pain itself does not fully go away.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
A long-lasting pain condition that usually affects an arm or a leg after an injury, surgery, or sometimes without a clear cause. It can cause burning pain, swelling, colour or temperature changes, and sensitivity to touch in the affected limb.
Compression Fracture
A type of broken bone where a vertebra in the spine collapses or is squashed, often due to osteoporosis or an injury. It can cause sudden back pain, loss of height, or a curved posture in the upper back.
Cortisol
A hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to stress, illness, or injury. Normal levels help the body manage stress and inflammation, but long-term high levels can affect sleep, mood, and pain sensitivity.
Corticosteroid
A strong anti-inflammatory medication that can be taken by mouth, injected into a joint or around a nerve, or used in creams and inhalers. In pain medicine, corticosteroid injections are often used to reduce swelling and pain in joints, the spine, or soft tissues.
D
Degenerative Disc Disease
A common age-related change where the spinal discs lose some of their water content and height, making them less flexible. Despite the name, it is not always a “disease” and many people have these changes without pain, but in some it can contribute to back or neck pain.
Denervation
The loss or intentional disruption of nerve supply to a particular area. In pain treatment, denervation procedures use heat, chemicals, or other methods to reduce pain signals coming from specific nerves or joints.
Dermatome
An area of skin that is mainly supplied by a single spinal nerve. Mapping pain or changes in sensation by dermatome can help doctors work out which nerve or level of the spine may be involved.
Diagnostic Block
An injection of local anaesthetic, sometimes with other medicines, used to temporarily numb a specific nerve or joint. If the pain improves during the numb period, it suggests that area is a likely source of the pain.
Diclofenac
A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat pain and inflammation in conditions like arthritis, sprains, and strains. It is available as tablets, gels, or injections and should be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest necessary time.
Disc Bulge
A broad-based swelling of a spinal disc where the outer layer pushes out but remains intact. It may cause no symptoms or can press on nearby nerves, leading to back or neck pain and sometimes pain down an arm or leg.
Disc Herniation
A condition where the soft inner part of a spinal disc pushes through a tear in the tougher outer layer. This can irritate or compress nearby nerves, causing sharp pain, tingling, or weakness in the neck, back, arms, or legs, depending on the level affected.
Discectomy
A surgical procedure to remove part of a damaged spinal disc that is pressing on a nerve. The aim is to relieve leg or arm pain, numbness, or weakness caused by the disc problem.
Discogenic Pain
Pain thought to come mainly from a damaged or worn spinal disc rather than from nerves, bones, or muscles. It is often felt in the neck or lower back and can worsen with sitting, bending, or lifting.
Dura Mater
The tough outer layer of tissue that surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord. It forms part of the coverings, called the meninges, and is sometimes involved in headaches or pain after spinal procedures if it is accidentally punctured.
Dysaesthesia
An unpleasant or uncomfortable abnormal sensation, such as burning, electric shocks, or crawling feelings on the skin. It is often due to nerve irritation or damage and can occur with conditions that cause neuropathic pain.
E
Electromyography (EMG)
A test that measures the electrical activity of muscles and the nerves that control them. It can help show whether muscle weakness, numbness, or pain is due to a nerve or muscle problem.
Endorphins
Natural chemicals made by the brain and body that act like internal painkillers and mood boosters. Activities like exercise, laughter, and relaxation can help release endorphins and may reduce the experience of pain for some people.
Epidural
A type of injection given into the epidural space, the area just outside the sac that surrounds the spinal cord and nerves. It is commonly used for pain relief during childbirth and some types of surgery, and can also be used to treat certain back and leg pain conditions.
Epidural Steroid Injection
An injection of a corticosteroid medicine, often with local anaesthetic, into the epidural space around the spinal nerves. It aims to reduce inflammation and pain in conditions such as sciatica or spinal stenosis, though relief may be temporary and results vary between people.
Evidence-Based Medicine
A way of making healthcare decisions that combines the best available research, clinical experience, and your values and preferences. In pain care, it means using treatments that have been carefully studied and shown to be helpful and safe for most people.
F
Facet Joint
Small joints at the back of the spine where one vertebra meets another. They help guide movement and provide stability, but can become arthritic or irritated and cause neck or back pain.
Facet Joint Injection
An injection of local anaesthetic and sometimes corticosteroid into or around a facet joint in the spine. It can be used to diagnose whether the joint is causing pain and may provide short-term pain relief for some people.
Fascia
A thin, strong layer of connective tissue that surrounds and supports muscles, bones, nerves, and organs throughout the body. Tight or irritated fascia can contribute to pain and stiffness in some people.
Fibromyalgia
A long-term condition that causes widespread pain, tiredness, sleep problems, and often difficulties with memory or concentration. The pain is thought to be linked to changes in how the nervous system processes pain signals rather than damage in the muscles or joints themselves.
Flare-Up
A temporary increase in pain or other symptoms that is stronger than your usual day-to-day level. Flare-ups can be triggered by overactivity, stress, illness, or sometimes for no clear reason, and often settle again over time.
Foramen
A small opening or passageway in a bone through which nerves or blood vessels travel. In the spine, nerve roots exit through openings called foramina, which can become narrowed and cause nerve pain if compressed.
Foraminotomy
A surgical procedure to widen a narrowed opening (foramen) in the spine where a nerve root exits. By creating more space, it aims to relieve pressure on the nerve and reduce pain, tingling, or weakness in the arm or leg.
Fracture
A break or crack in a bone, which can range from a thin hairline crack to a complete break. Fractures usually cause sudden pain, swelling, and difficulty using the affected area, and may result from trauma, falls, or weakened bones such as in osteoporosis.
G
Gabapentin
A medication originally developed to treat seizures that is now commonly used for certain types of nerve pain. It works by calming overactive nerves but can cause side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, or swelling in some people.
Gate Control Theory
A scientific idea that suggests there is a kind of “gate” in the spinal cord that can either allow or block pain signals from reaching the brain. Factors such as touch, movement, thoughts, and emotions can influence this gate, which is why things like massage, exercise, and relaxation can sometimes ease pain.
Gout
A type of arthritis caused by a build-up of uric acid crystals in a joint, most often the big toe. It can cause sudden attacks of severe pain, redness, and swelling, and may be linked with diet, genetics, or kidney problems.
Guided Imagery
A relaxation technique where you focus on pleasant, calming mental images, often with the help of an audio recording or therapist. It can help shift attention away from pain, reduce muscle tension, and support overall coping with long-term pain.
H
Herniated Disc
Another term for a slipped or ruptured disc, where the soft inner part of a spinal disc pushes through a crack in the outer layer. It can press on nearby nerves and cause pain, tingling, or weakness in the neck, back, arms, or legs.
Hyperalgesia
A state where the body becomes more sensitive to pain, so that a painful stimulus feels more painful than expected. It can occur after tissue injury, long-term opioid use, or in some chronic pain conditions where the nervous system becomes over-responsive.
Hydrotherapy
Exercise or treatment carried out in a warm-water pool to help relieve pain and stiffness. The water supports your body weight, making it easier to move joints and muscles with less strain.
Hypnotherapy
A therapy that uses guided relaxation and focused attention to reach a deeply calm state, sometimes called hypnosis. For some people with chronic pain, hypnotherapy can help change how pain is experienced and improve coping, though results vary.
I
Ibuprofen
A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and lower fever. It is available over the counter in many places but should be used carefully, as long-term or high-dose use can affect the stomach, kidneys, or heart in some people.
Inflammation
The body’s natural response to injury, infection, or irritation, which can cause redness, heat, swelling, and pain. Short-term inflammation helps healing, but long-lasting inflammation can contribute to chronic pain and tissue damage.
Intrathecal Drug Delivery
A treatment in which pain medication is delivered directly into the fluid around the spinal cord through a small pump and catheter. Because the medicine goes straight to the nervous system, smaller doses can be used compared with tablets, which may reduce some side effects for suitable patients.
Ischaemic Pain
Pain caused by reduced blood flow to an area of the body, which means the tissues are not getting enough oxygen. It is often described as cramping, tight, or burning and may worsen with activity, as seen in some heart and circulation problems.
J
Joint Aspiration
A procedure where a doctor uses a needle to remove fluid from inside a joint, such as the knee or shoulder. It can help reduce pain and swelling and allows the fluid to be tested to look for infection, gout, or other causes of joint problems.
Joint Replacement
Surgery to remove a damaged joint, most commonly the hip or knee, and replace it with an artificial joint made of metal, plastic, or ceramic. It is usually considered when pain and stiffness are severe and other treatments have not provided enough relief.
K
Ketamine
A medication originally used as an anaesthetic that can also be used in low doses for certain hard-to-treat pain conditions and depression. It affects how the brain processes pain signals, but because it can cause side effects like confusion or changes in perception, it is usually given under close medical supervision.
Kyphosis
An exaggerated forward curve of the upper spine that can lead to a rounded or hunched back. In some people it causes back pain, stiffness, and breathing difficulties, especially if due to osteoporosis, fractures, or certain spine conditions.
L
Laminectomy
A type of spine surgery where a small portion of bone called the lamina is removed from the back of a vertebra. This creates more space around the spinal cord or nerves and is often done to relieve pressure from spinal stenosis or a herniated disc.
Ligament
A strong band of connective tissue that connects one bone to another and helps stabilise joints. When ligaments are overstretched or torn, such as in a sprain, they can be a source of pain and joint instability.
Local Anaesthetic
A medicine that temporarily numbs a small area of the body so you do not feel pain there. It is commonly used in injections, dental work, and minor procedures, and can also be used in nerve blocks for pain relief.
Lordosis
The natural inward curve of the lower back and neck when viewed from the side. Too much lordosis can cause an exaggerated “swayback” posture and may be linked with back pain in some people.
Lumbar Puncture
A procedure where a thin needle is inserted into the lower back to collect fluid from around the spinal cord, called cerebrospinal fluid. It can help diagnose infections, bleeding, or other brain and spinal conditions, and may cause temporary back or head pain afterwards in some people.
Lumbar Radiculopathy
Pain and other symptoms caused by a nerve root in the lower back being irritated or compressed. It often leads to lower back pain that travels down the leg, sometimes called sciatica, along with numbness or weakness in the leg or foot.
Lumbar Spine
The lower part of the spine, made up of five large vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis. It carries much of the body’s weight and is a common source of back pain due to muscles, joints, discs, or nerves in this region.
M
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
A scan that uses strong magnets and radio waves, rather than X-rays, to create detailed pictures of the body’s organs, bones, and soft tissues. It is often used in pain medicine to look at the spine, joints, and nerves to help understand possible sources of pain.
Meditation
A mind-body practice that involves focusing your attention, often on the breath, a word, or a sensation, to develop calm awareness. Regular meditation can help some people with chronic pain by reducing stress, improving mood, and changing how the brain responds to pain signals.
Meralgia Paraesthetica
A condition where a nerve that supplies feeling to the outer thigh becomes compressed, often where it passes through the pelvis. It can cause burning pain, numbness, or tingling on the surface of the thigh, usually without weakness.
Mindfulness
Paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and without judgement to your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Mindfulness practices can help people living with pain notice their experience more kindly and respond with more choice, which may reduce suffering even if the pain itself remains.
Morphine
A strong opioid pain medication used to treat moderate to severe pain, especially after surgery or in serious illness. It can be very effective but also carries risks such as drowsiness, constipation, dependence, and overdose, so it must be used carefully under medical supervision.
Multidisciplinary Pain Team
A team of different health professionals who work together to help people manage long-term pain. It may include doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, and others who combine medical, physical, and psychological approaches to support recovery and self-management.
Muscle Spasm
A sudden, involuntary tightening or cramping of a muscle. Spasms can be painful and may happen after injury, overuse, or as the body’s way of protecting a sore or unstable area.
Myofascial Pain
Pain that comes from muscles and the surrounding fascia, often linked with tight, tender spots called trigger points. It can cause local pain and also refer pain to nearby areas, such as from the neck into the head or shoulders.
Myotome
A group of muscles mainly supplied by a single spinal nerve root. Testing strength in different myotomes can help doctors identify which nerve or level of the spine may be affected when there is weakness or pain.
N
Nerve Block
An injection of local anaesthetic, sometimes with other medicines, near a specific nerve or group of nerves to temporarily block pain signals. It can be used to diagnose the source of pain or to provide short- to medium-term pain relief in various conditions.
Nerve Conduction Study
A test that measures how well and how fast electrical signals travel along a nerve. It can help identify nerve damage or compression that might be causing symptoms such as numbness, tingling, or weakness.
Neuropathic Pain
Pain caused by a problem in the nervous system itself, such as nerve damage, rather than from injured tissues like muscles or joints. It is often described as burning, shooting, electric shock-like, or tingling, and may be accompanied by numbness or sensitivity to touch.
Nociception
The process by which specialised nerve endings detect potentially harmful events like heat, pressure, or chemical irritation and send signals to the spinal cord and brain. Nociception is not the same as pain, but it is one of the main inputs the brain uses when creating the experience of pain.
Nociceptor
A type of nerve ending that detects potentially harmful or damaging stimuli, such as extreme heat, cold, or pressure. When activated, nociceptors send signals towards the spinal cord and brain that can contribute to the feeling of pain.
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
A group of medicines, including ibuprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac, that help reduce pain, fever, and inflammation. They can be very helpful for many painful conditions but may cause side effects, particularly in the stomach, kidneys, or heart, especially with long-term use.
Numbness
A loss or reduction of normal sensation in part of the body, such as feeling like an area is “asleep” or covered by a thick glove. It is often caused by nerve irritation or damage and may occur alongside tingling, weakness, or pain.
O
Occupational Therapy
A type of therapy that helps people manage daily activities such as washing, dressing, work, and hobbies when they are affected by pain, illness, or disability. Occupational therapists can suggest new ways of doing tasks, teach pacing and energy-saving techniques, and recommend helpful equipment or changes at home or work.
Opioid
A class of strong pain-relieving medicines that act on opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, including drugs like morphine, oxycodone, and codeine. They can be very effective for short-term severe pain but carry risks such as dependence, tolerance, and overdose, so long-term use for chronic pain is usually limited and closely monitored.
Osteoarthritis
The most common form of arthritis, where the protective cartilage in a joint gradually wears down. It can cause joint pain, stiffness, and swelling, often affecting the knees, hips, hands, and spine, and symptoms may worsen with activity and improve with rest.
Osteoporosis
A condition in which bones become thinner, weaker, and more likely to break. People with osteoporosis may develop fractures from minor falls or even everyday activities, especially in the spine, hip, and wrist, which can lead to significant pain and loss of independence.
Outcome Measures
Tools, such as questionnaires, pain scales, or walking tests, used to track how a person is doing over time. They help patients and clinicians see whether a treatment or self-management plan is improving pain, function, or quality of life.
P
Pacing
A self-management strategy where you balance activity and rest to avoid both overdoing and underdoing things. By breaking tasks into smaller steps, taking planned breaks, and spreading activities through the week, pacing can help reduce flare-ups and make daily life more manageable with chronic pain.
Pain Catastrophising Scale
A questionnaire that measures how often someone has very negative thoughts and feelings about their pain, such as feeling helpless or expecting the worst. It helps clinicians understand the emotional side of pain and guide support like education or psychological therapies.
Pain Diary
A simple record where you track your pain levels, activities, mood, sleep, and treatments over days or weeks. It can help you and your clinicians spot patterns, triggers, and helpful strategies to guide your pain management plan.
Pain Flare
A period when pain becomes noticeably worse than your usual background level, sometimes suddenly. Flares can last hours or days and may be triggered by physical, emotional, or environmental factors, or sometimes seem to happen without a clear cause.
Pain Neuroscience Education
Teaching about how pain really works in the body and brain, using simple language and examples. Understanding that pain is an alarm system that can become overprotective helps many people feel less afraid, more in control, and more willing to use active coping strategies like movement and pacing.
Pain Scale
A simple tool, often using numbers from 0 to 10 or faces, that helps you describe how intense your pain feels. It allows you and your healthcare team to track changes in pain over time and see how treatments or activities affect your symptoms.
Pain Threshold
The point at which a stimulus, such as pressure or heat, first begins to feel painful rather than just uncomfortable. Pain thresholds vary from person to person and can change over time with factors like mood, sleep, and stress.
Pain Tolerance
The highest level of pain that a person feels they can manage or endure. It is influenced by physical factors as well as emotions, past experiences, cultural background, and current stress levels, and is different for everyone.
Palliative Care
Specialised medical care focused on improving quality of life for people with serious illnesses. It includes expert pain and symptom management, as well as emotional, spiritual, and practical support for patients and their families, alongside other treatments they may be receiving.
Paraesthesia
Abnormal sensations such as pins and needles, tingling, or “crawling” feelings on the skin. It is usually caused by temporary or long-term changes in how nerves are working and may occur with nerve compression, injury, or certain medical conditions.
Peripheral Sensitisation
Increased sensitivity of pain-detecting nerve endings in injured or inflamed tissues. This means that even gentle touch or normal movement in that area may feel more painful than usual while the tissues are irritated or healing.
Phantom Limb Pain
Pain or uncomfortable sensations that feel as though they are coming from a limb or body part that has been amputated or is no longer there. It is thought to arise from changes in the nervous system and brain, and can range from mild to very distressing for some people.
Physical Therapy (Physiotherapy)
A type of treatment that uses movement, exercise, hands-on techniques, and education to improve pain, strength, flexibility, and function. Physiotherapists work with people to build confidence in movement and support a gradual return to everyday activities.
Piriformis Syndrome
A condition where the piriformis muscle in the buttock irritates or presses on the nearby sciatic nerve. It can cause buttock pain and pain, tingling, or numbness that travels down the back of the leg, similar to sciatica from the spine.
Placebo
A treatment with no active medical ingredient, such as a sugar pill or saline injection, that is used in research to compare against real treatments. Even though a placebo does not directly affect the body, some people still report pain relief, showing the powerful role of expectations, context, and the brain in the experience of pain.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
A treatment that uses a concentrated sample of a person’s own blood platelets, injected into an injured tendon, ligament, or joint. The idea is that the growth factors in platelets may support healing, although research results are mixed and it is not suitable or available for everyone.
Post-Herpetic Neuralgia
Long-lasting nerve pain that can develop after a shingles infection has healed. It is usually felt in the same area as the rash and can be burning, stabbing, or sensitive to touch, sometimes lasting months or even years in some people.
Posture
The way you hold your body when sitting, standing, or moving. While there is no single “perfect” posture, finding comfortable, varied positions and changing posture regularly can help reduce strain on muscles and joints and may ease pain for some people.
Pregabalin
A medication related to gabapentin that is used to treat certain types of nerve pain, anxiety, and epilepsy. It works by calming overactive nerves but can cause side effects like dizziness, drowsiness, and weight gain in some people.
Prolotherapy
An injection treatment in which a solution, often containing sugar, is injected into painful joints or ligaments with the aim of stimulating the body’s healing response. Evidence for its effectiveness is still limited, and it may not be widely available in all pain services.
Pseudogout
A joint condition similar to gout, but caused by calcium crystal deposits rather than uric acid. It can lead to sudden episodes of joint pain, swelling, and warmth, often in the knee, wrist, or ankle.
Psychogenic Pain
Pain that is strongly linked with psychological factors such as stress, trauma, or mental health difficulties, rather than clear physical tissue damage. The pain is real and can be severe, and treatment usually involves a combination of medical, psychological, and lifestyle approaches rather than focusing only on the body part that hurts.
Q
Quality of Life
A broad term describing how satisfactory and meaningful life feels, including physical health, emotional wellbeing, relationships, work, and daily activities. In pain care, improving quality of life—not just reducing pain scores—is a key treatment goal.
R
Radiculopathy
Symptoms such as pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness that travel along the path of a spinal nerve due to irritation or compression of that nerve root. It often starts in the neck or back and radiates into the arm or leg, depending on which nerve is affected.
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
A procedure that uses heat created by radiofrequency energy to intentionally damage small areas of nerve tissue that are carrying pain signals. It is often used for certain types of back, neck, or joint pain and can provide relief that lasts several months or longer in some people.
Referred Pain
Pain that is felt in a different area from where the problem actually is, because nerves from several body parts share common pathways in the spinal cord and brain. For example, a problem in the neck can cause pain in the shoulder or arm, even when those areas are themselves healthy.
Rehabilitation
A process of restoring or improving function, independence, and quality of life after injury, surgery, or illness. In pain care, rehabilitation often combines physical exercise, education, and psychological support to help people return to the activities that matter to them.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
An autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of the joints, causing inflammation, pain, swelling, and stiffness. Over time it can damage joints and other organs, but early diagnosis and treatment can greatly improve outcomes and reduce long-term disability.
Risk Factor
Anything that increases the chances of developing a condition or having a poor outcome, such as smoking, inactivity, certain jobs, or long-term stress. Knowing your risk factors for pain problems can help guide prevention and early treatment strategies.
S
Sacroiliac Joint
The joint that connects the base of the spine (sacrum) to the pelvic bones on each side. Problems in this joint can cause lower back, buttock, and sometimes leg pain, especially with standing, walking, or climbing stairs.
Sciatica
Pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve, usually from the lower back or buttock down the back of the leg. It is often caused by a disc problem or narrowing in the spine pressing on a nerve root, and can be sharp, burning, or electric in nature.
Sensitisation
A process where the nervous system becomes more responsive to pain signals over time, so that pain feels stronger or lasts longer than expected. Sensitisation can happen at the site of injury, along the nerves, in the spinal cord, or in the brain, and is a key feature of many chronic pain conditions.
Serotonin
A chemical messenger in the brain and body that affects mood, sleep, digestion, and pain. Some pain and antidepressant medicines work partly by changing serotonin levels, which can influence how strongly pain is felt and how you cope with it emotionally.
Slipped Disc
A common term for a herniated disc, where the soft inner part of a spinal disc pushes out through a weak spot in the outer layer. Despite the name, the disc does not actually “slip” out of place, but the bulge can press on nearby nerves and cause pain, numbness, or weakness.
Spinal Cord
The thick bundle of nerves that runs from the brain down through the spine, carrying messages between the brain and the rest of the body. It plays a central role in sensing, movement, and pain processing, and is protected by the vertebrae and surrounding tissues.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
A treatment in which thin wires are placed near the spinal cord to deliver small electrical pulses from a battery-powered device. These pulses change how pain signals are processed and can reduce pain for some people with severe, long-lasting nerve pain that has not responded to other treatments.
Spinal Fusion
A surgical procedure in which two or more vertebrae are joined together so they heal into a single solid bone. This can reduce pain from certain spinal conditions by stopping movement at a painful segment, but it also reduces flexibility and is usually considered only after other treatments have been tried.
Spinal Stenosis
Narrowing of the spaces in the spine, which can put pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. It often causes back or neck pain, leg or arm pain, and can lead to heaviness, numbness, or weakness, especially when walking or standing for longer periods.
Spondylolisthesis
A condition where one vertebra in the spine slips forward in relation to the one below it. It can be present from birth, develop over time, or result from stress fractures or arthritis, and may cause back pain, leg pain, or nerve symptoms in some people.
Spondylosis
A general term describing age-related wear-and-tear changes in the spine, including the discs, joints, and bones. Many people have spondylosis on scans without significant pain, but in some it can contribute to neck or back pain and stiffness.
Sprain
An injury where the ligaments that support a joint are stretched or torn, often caused by twisting or falling. Sprains commonly affect the ankles, knees, and wrists and can cause pain, swelling, and difficulty using the joint until it heals.
Stellate Ganglion Block
An injection of local anaesthetic around a group of nerves in the lower neck called the stellate ganglion. It can be used to help diagnose or treat certain types of pain, such as complex regional pain syndrome or some forms of facial pain, by interrupting part of the sympathetic nervous system.
Strain
An injury where muscle or tendon fibres are overstretched or torn, commonly affecting the back, neck, or hamstring muscles. Strains can cause pain, muscle spasm, and limited movement, but most heal with time, gentle movement, and graded return to activity.
Sympathetic Nervous System
The part of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for “fight or flight” responses, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and alertness. In some chronic pain conditions this system can become overactive, contributing to symptoms such as sweating, colour changes, and temperature changes in the skin, as well as changes in pain.
T
Tendinopathy
A general term for pain and reduced function in a tendon, usually due to overuse or age-related changes rather than a single tear. It can cause local pain, stiffness, and weakness, often around the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, or ankle, and usually improves with a structured exercise programme over time.
Tendon
A strong band of tissue that connects muscle to bone and helps move joints when muscles contract. Tendons can become irritated, inflamed, or degenerate over time, causing pain and movement difficulties in many common musculoskeletal conditions.
TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)
A small battery-powered device that delivers gentle electrical pulses through sticky pads placed on the skin near a painful area. For some people, TENS can reduce pain by affecting how pain signals travel along nerves and how the brain interprets them.
Thalamus
A deep part of the brain that acts as a relay station for many types of sensory information, including pain. Signals from the body often pass through the thalamus before reaching other brain areas that create the conscious experience of pain and help decide how to respond.
Thermal Imaging
A technique that uses special cameras to detect heat patterns on the surface of the body. In pain medicine it is sometimes used in research or specific clinical situations, but it is not a routine test for most pain conditions.
Traction
A treatment that applies a gentle pulling force to stretch the spine or other joints, sometimes using weights or specialised equipment. It has been used for conditions like back or neck pain, but evidence for long-term benefit is limited, and it is used less commonly in modern pain practice.
Tramadol
A prescription pain medicine that works on opioid receptors and also affects some brain chemicals involved in pain and mood. It is used for moderate to moderately severe pain but can cause side effects and dependence, so it is usually used for limited periods and under close medical guidance.
Trigeminal Neuralgia
A severe facial pain condition where sudden, electric shock-like or stabbing pains affect one side of the face, usually in short bursts. It is linked to irritation of the trigeminal nerve and can be triggered by everyday activities such as talking, chewing, or touching the face.
Trigger Point
A small, tight, and often painful spot in a muscle or its surrounding fascia that can be tender to touch. Pressing on a trigger point may cause local pain or pain that is felt in another area, such as from the shoulder into the head or arm.
Trigger Point Injection
An injection of local anaesthetic, sometimes combined with other medicines or dry needling, directly into a trigger point in a muscle. It aims to reduce pain and allow easier stretching and movement of the affected muscle for a period of time.
U
Ultrasound-Guided Injection
An injection performed while a clinician uses an ultrasound machine to watch the needle and nearby structures in real time. This imaging guidance can help place medicine more accurately into joints, around tendons, or near nerves, which may improve safety and effectiveness.
V
Vertebra
One of the small bones that stack together to form the spine. Each vertebra helps protect the spinal cord and, together with the discs and joints, allows the spine to move while supporting the body’s weight.
Vertebroplasty
A procedure in which medical cement is injected into a fractured vertebra in the spine to stabilise the bone. It is sometimes used to treat painful compression fractures, often due to osteoporosis, when other treatments have not provided enough relief.
Visceral Pain
Pain that comes from internal organs such as the stomach, intestines, or bladder. It is often felt as a deep, squeezing, or cramping discomfort and can be harder to pinpoint than pain from skin, muscles, or joints.
W
Whiplash
An injury to the neck caused by a sudden back-and-forth movement of the head, often occurring in car accidents. It can lead to neck pain, stiffness, headaches, and sometimes dizziness or shoulder pain, and most people recover with time and gentle movement, although some develop longer-term symptoms.
Wind-Up
A term used to describe how repeated or continuous pain signals can gradually make the spinal cord and brain respond more strongly, so that pain seems to build up or spread. Wind-up is one way of explaining why ongoing pain can become more intense over time even without new injury.
X
X-Ray
A quick imaging test that uses a small amount of radiation to create pictures of the bones and some other structures inside the body. X-rays are helpful for seeing fractures and some joint changes, but they do not show muscles, discs, or nerves as clearly as MRI or other scans.
Y
Yellow Flags
Psychological and social factors, such as unhelpful beliefs about pain, fear of movement, low mood, or work stress, that increase the risk of pain becoming long-lasting and disabling. Spotting and addressing yellow flags early can help guide treatment and support better recovery.
Z
Zygapophyseal Joint (Z-Joint)
Another name for the facet joints, the small joints at the back of the spine where one vertebra meets another. These joints help guide movement and can become painful due to arthritis, injury, or overuse, leading to neck or back pain.
The Pain Decoder 