What Is Referral Pain?

You've probably felt pain many times in your life. Your body is communicating with you through pain. It is important that you learn to listen and understand your body. Pain is not something that should be considered normal.

It's likely that you would be surprised at the number of people who experience pain every day. People experience significant pain on a daily basis. Chronic pain can quickly become a part of your daily life and not be noticed. This is unhealthy. Referral pain is what this is.

Referral Pain: What is it?

Referral pain is not something that a layperson will notice. Referendum pain is dangerous and should be evaluated by a professional such as a chiropractor. This article will help you understand that not all pain is the same and that it's important to find the root cause. Certain types of pain can indicate more serious problems than you might think. Referral pain is one example.

Referral pain refers to pain that is felt in a different area than the source of the stimulus. This can happen in many ways, such as cervical spine (neck) subluxations, which can cause jaw pain, and issues with the gallbladder, which can be felt under the right scapula. Referring pain can occur in the left arm, which is most often a result of a heart attack.

Why does Referral Pain Occur?

The brain communicates with your body through electrical impulses. These impulses travel down the spinal cord to all cells, systems, organs, and structures within your body. Through the thousands of nerves that run through the body, all parts communicate with the brain. They then go into the spinal cord and up to the brain. Although you are unaware of most of the communication occurring, there are some parts you can recognize. This communication is experienced through the sensory system, which is related to your physical senses. This is a complex and multilayered process.

Sensory neurons can converge in multiple places in the body. Because of the convergence of these sensory receptors and the complexity of the system as well as the layers in the tissues of neurons, the brain cannot distinguish type or origin of pain. The brain cannot tell if the irritation is in the visceral tissues (organs) or the somatic layers, which are muscles, bones, and tissues. Visceral pain can be experienced as an intractable pain or present as a somatic layer pain.

Radiating Pain vs. Referral Pain vs. Radiating Pain

Radiating pain and referral pain are two different types of pain. They can indicate very different things to the doctor assessing the problem. Referral pain can be felt in a different part of the body from the actual problem. Radiating pain can travel from the source of the problem all the way throughout the body. A subluxation in the lower back (lower lumbar) can cause pain to radiate down the leg and into the foot. Both types of pain may be severe for different reasons.

What should you do?

Although pain is common, it is not an uncommon occurrence. Your body uses pain as a way to communicate with you. It is important that you are willing to listen. If you don't, it will be impossible to fix the problem.

Most of the time, it will be difficult to distinguish between the type and source (or generator) of the pain. To get an evaluation, you need to first see a professional. Chiropractors are great resources for checking your body if you feel pain. They can assess the source of your pain and provide an action plan.

Listen to your body. Understanding that pain may be indicative of deeper issues than you think, is a good idea.