Need help describing pain

[kalmen]

Hello

One thing I became aware of, living in pain for the past 14 years, is that I didn't realize I was in pain, and I allowed others to gaslight me to thinking I was just lazy or unwilling to move (especially physio therapists). The two types of pain I'm looking for help is the generalised dull pain and acute pain. Does it have a name?

I don't know what the proper names for the pain is, but in summary it is:
1- General dull pain all around my body, but especially on my right side. This pain is not insanely bad, but forget social life, and work becomes a struggle. Fortunately, Panadol Osteo really helps but only enough manage the day without interacting with people. Does that have a name? Or just dull pain?
2- Chronic inflammation in my lower back, MRIs come back normal (wear and tear that comes with age), so far, we still don't know what's causing the inflammation and the markers are slightly elevated in the bloods. I think this one is clear.
3- General stiffness, that makes everything unpleasant, especially in my lower back, neck and face muscles, I'm guessing that is just muscle stiffness.
4- Acute pain, which is an outcome of the dull pain, inflammation and stiffness when the muscles I stressed (like sleeping on the wrong side). Does this have a different name?
5- Brain fog, which is self explanatory.

I guess I'm just looking for your thoughts, ideas, or shared experiences. I understand this is not to be taken as medical advice.

Cheers

 

[sunkacola]

Hello @kalmen ....I think that you have described the pain quite well in your post above. There aren't really any words that describe pain that you don't probably already know. It's hard to describe it to others, I know. That is something every one of us struggles with at one time or another.

But honestly ---and this is only my opinion --- I don't think having more names for the pain, if there were more names, or better names if there were better names, would help all that much. Because people who have not experienced what fibromyalgia is like will not ever be able to grasp what it is like for us. They just cannot - they don't have any reference for it.

I gave up some time ago on ever having anyone who has not experienced the symptoms of fibromyalgia or something similar, who has never had chronic pain, understand what my life is like. It's much easier on me if I don't expect anyone to understand it, and I only ask that they believe me when I tell them what it is like as best I can.

 

[kalmen]

Thank you @sunkacola, It really helps to hear another perspective. This is also the time to see the types of people that surround you , I really appreciate your time and sharing your experience, thank you!

 

[sunkacola]

Thank you @sunkacola, It really helps to hear another perspective. This is also the time to see the types of people that surround you , I really appreciate your time and sharing your experience, thank you!

You are welcome, of course. That is what this forum is for.......for those of us who do understand what this is like to be able to tell each other about our experiences, offer support and advice, and tell each other what things have helped each of us to live with this condition.

The more we tell each other about what is going on for us, the less we need to feel all alone with this, and the more we may be able to help each other with ideas, perspectives, and even coping strategies or techniques. I know that I have learned a lot from the people here, and I hope the same will be true for you.

 

[kalmen]

Absolutely it is, thank you. I hope to be able to make my own contribution to this forum.

 

[JamieMarc]

I've been using an app called Manage My Pain to keep a pain diary daily. One of the prompts lists descriptions of pain from which you select what is applicable for you that day. It has 20 pain descriptors loaded and allows you to add your own descriptors as well. I just started using it, but I am very interested to see what kind of report, graph, etc. it might allow me to generate. Anyway, I'd check it out if you are having difficulty describing your pain.

 

[Frizzybee]

I agree with a previous poster who said people who don't have Fibro can't really understand what it is like to have constant, grinding pain. When I describe the muscle pain to doctors, I usually say it feels like the Jolly Green Giant is standing on my shoulders digging his toes into them. I tell them the nerve pain and cold intolerance feels like I've been skinned alive, then set outside in a snow storm.
IME, nothing works if you are talking to a doctor who thinks Fibro is "just some hysterical females". Thankfully, there are less of those type of doctors than there were way back when I came down with this plague in 1986.

 

[Borzov1982]

One person compared the pain in the whole body to the hum of an electric transformer. And I agree with him, I have had days when my whole body hummed.