Pain has always been a signal that there is a problem in the body that requires medical intervention. In most cases, figuring out where the pain signal comes from and what it indicates is not difficult. However, in some cases, the pain may acquire a different character. We will learn about such signals, as well as why they cannot be ignored, in the article.
What it is
Reflected pain is a painful sensation that occurs in a place remote from that which is the source of pain. The criterion that you can’t tolerate such sensations and you must consult a doctor is their duration. As you know, if the pain is acute, then you cannot delay a visit to the doctor. If the reflected pain is not strong, but it worries the person constantly, then you need to think about what the body signals.
Chest pain
If a person experiences a bursting or pulling pain in the chest, which radiates to the left hand, this may be a signal of problems with cardiac activity. Reflected pain in the heart can be given to the shoulder blade or lower jaw, therefore, patients with heart diseases often do not associate the nature of pain with it.
It is important to understand that the course of the disease is easier with timely diagnosis. If the sensations of pain in the left arm and chest appear regularly, intensify with movement or walking, it is best to consult a therapist. He listens to the heart for the presence of functional murmurs and appoints examinations that will help draw conclusions about the state of the heart muscle.
Reflected pain in the shoulder and neck
Pain and severe discomfort in the shoulders and neck may indicate lung problems. A sign of such problems may be the girdle pain that radiates to the shoulder joint.
The mechanism of reflected pain is such that it manifests itself in different localization - this means that the pain can "spread" throughout the neck, and also can be heard below the seventh cervical vertebra.
The diagnosis should be made by a specialist
Trying to independently diagnose problems with your bronchi or lungs, you need to remember about the features of the cervical spine. He is the most mobile, therefore, prone to frequent injuries and functional disorders. Causes of neck pain can be hypothermia, inflammation of the nerve roots of the spine, osteochondrosis, or degenerative changes in the cervical vertebrae. Reflected pain in osteochondrosis can occur in the cervical spine, and indicate functional disorders in the chest.
Such pain in the cervical region is always manifested against the background of coughing, perspiration, or other symptoms of lung problems. It is better to start treatment with a visit to a therapist who will prescribe fluorography and other tests, depending on the age and condition of the patient, and refer to a pulmonologist if the results of the tests show such a need.
Pain in the neck, shoulder girdle and under the ribs
Pain in the shoulders and neck, localized on the right side, can indicate liver problems. Pressing pain on the right side under the ribs, as well as on the right under the chest, may indicate biliary dyskinesia.
Reflected pain does not always indicate a serious disease - violations of the outflow of bile can be functional. For example, discomfort and a slight stagnation of bile may appear after eating fatty foods. In this case, the pain only indicates the need to monitor the diet. However, in cases where the pain manifests steadily after each meal, intensifies at night and has a pronounced localization on the right side, this should be the reason for going to the doctor.
Pain with stomach problems
Problems with the stomach and pancreas can be manifested by pains in the projection of their location, but the cause of stomach problems can be reflected pains in the spine. Many patients in their reviews indicate that the first signs of gastritis were manifested in their back pain. Naturally, they did not associate this with the stomach, believing that the cause was incorrect posture or strain when sitting for a long time in an uncomfortable position.
It is not necessary to ignore pain of any nature, however, with its minor manifestations, it will be quite simple to adjust the diet, abandoning spicy and fatty foods. Having given up alcohol, uncooked smoked sausages and fast food for a while, you may find that the stomach discomfort has passed.
Excretory system problems
When reflected pain occurs with kidney problems, the physiology of its perception extends to the entire lumbar region, pelvis, and upper thighs. There may be difficulties with tilting the body, pain when trying to sit down or, conversely, to rise from a sitting position.
As a rule, after the cause of the problem has been eliminated (for example, taking antibacterial drugs or antibiotics), back pain ceases to bother.
In medicine, there is the term "guarding behavior." It means that when it is difficult for a person to bend, he begins to avoid this movement. As a result, muscles and tendons, which previously behaved in the same way, now begin to work differently. Enclosing behavior helps to ensure that those movements that were previously difficult to perform after enclosing actions are not performed at all.
Compression of blood vessels and nerves
The main reason for the occurrence of reflected pain is damage or compression of the nerve endings that occur when muscles are stretched. This happens as follows: a compressed nerve delivers distorted signals to the brain - as a result, a person feels numb, loss of sensation in that part of the body that is served by one or another system of nerve endings. Diagnosis of the disease should be comprehensive, only in this case the cause of the disease can be established correctly.