Why does your brain hurt (or “freeze”) when you drink a cold beverage too quickly if the pain originates from the mouth? Referred pain is when pain is felt at a location other than where it originates from and is more common than you might think.
Why does referred pain happen?
In general, pain serves as an important warning sign from the nervous system that indicates a problem with the body. A nerve that detects pain will send signals to the other nerves, telling your brain that there is pain in the body.
However, pain is not always limited to the point of origin. The body consists of a network of interconnected nerves, all of which originate from and converge at the spinal cord, and each of these nerves connects to a different part of the body. Sometimes, the messages get crossed, and pain signals are sent to unrelated areas of the body. Hence, if excessive pressure is put on the nerve near the spinal column, you may feel pain somewhere else along the nerve.
You should note that referred pain differs from radiating pain. With radiating pain, the pain travels from one part of the body to another across specific nerves—in other words, it literally travels through your body. Referred pain, on the other hand, is less focal. The pain does not move; it is simply felt in another area.
Common examples of referred pain include knee pain stemming from a hip injury or lower back pain from an unhealthy kidney.
The experience of referred pain varies according to the individual: for some, it is an intense burn, and for others, it is a dull ache; sometimes, it lingers, and other times it comes and goes. Whatever the case is, pain is not normal. Getting it checked out and treated as soon as possible would be best.
Treatment
This is where Healing Hands comes in: instead of just treating the symptoms, our chiropractors are trained and seasoned in finding the source of the issue and at relieving pressure on the nerve which can relieve symptoms. Most times, our Healing Hands chiropractors can locate the source of referred pain by tracing and linking your nerves back to their place in the spine, which could effectively help in reducing any an aches, discomfort, pain and inflammation.
If you want relief through services like knee pain treatment or lower back pain treatment in Singapore, you can head to Healing Hands Chiropractic and book an appointment with a chiropractor.
Healing Hands Chiropractic has also conducted corporate wellness programs in Singapore with 99% patient satisfaction. Designed to educate employees to lead healthier and happier lives, the well-trained chiropractors are experienced and have recognised credentials. They also conduct health talks and briefings about managing stress and pain in the body. Healthy and productive employees are valuable to any organisation.
For more information about our programmes and treatments, head over to https://healinghands.com.sg/ to find out!