The Worst Pain Known to Man

I planned to read a book this evening, but instead I have become fascinated by the website www.painonline.org.

It has been amazing learning that there is a name for the kinds of pain that I feel, which is Central Pain. And that my various pains are related! I knew that they were all related to MS, of course, but this website helped me understand it better. And this is what it said about Central Pain:

Fully developed Central Pain can be the worst pain known to man. No doubt many would be shocked to learn that spinal injured patients with some motor ability often indicate they would sacrifice any remaining motor ability if the pain could only be stopped (see studies by Davidoff, Nepomuceno, and Britell). If observers will stop and think about that for a while when gauging the severity of Central Pain, they may be inclined to pontificate less about "keeping a stiff upper lip" and start saying, "We simply must devote the needed funds for research. To do less would be inhuman."

Powerful stuff. My Central Pain is not fully developed, but it has come a ways along that road in a short amount of time. It began six months ago.

Here are components of Central Pain and how they have manifested themselves in my body.

Muscle Pain (gamma pain)

I do not understand this type of pain well, but I related to the descriptions of soreness when trying to lie in bed and waking up feeling as though I have been beaten. This type of pain also has to do with feeling as though you have had a major workout when you have not. I have described my pain in these very terms before. My thighs often feel like I have skied hard the day before.

Dysesthesia: "Indescribable" pain felt by those with nerve injury

This was the most jaw-dropping section for me to read. I absolutely have this, and it SUCKS. This is the feeling of burning/freezing/numb, as though walking barefoot in snow. If you read the webpage, it describes spontaneous and evoked dysesthesia; mine is spontaneous. Except that it did improve when I removed my socks and turned off the heat, so maybe there is an evoked component to it.

Hyperpathia: An increase in response to normally painful stimuli

Remember wayyyyy back in August, when I commented that CPI training was painful for me? More painful than it should have been. It was not bad at all when I went through it two years ago. CPI training involved learning how to get out of situations where another person is violent, such as trying to pull your hair out, bite you, or kick you. We were playing at putting each other in a hold or grabbing the other person's arm. It was unreasonably painful for me. The pain I felt that day is just one example of hyperpathia, which I have had quite a few times.

Allodynia: Pain from what is normally a nonpainful stimulus

I have had location allodynia occasionally. I do not think I am bad about having pain from nonpainful stimuli, but I have definitely paresthesias from nonpainful stimuli. For example, a light tough might feel tingly or itchy. Firm pressure makes it feel better.

Shooting Pain (lancinating pain)

I get this in my left leg.

Circulatory: Pain that mimics circulatory insufficiency

Obviously I get this. Don't I rate my pins and needles every day? Mine are not severe--or at least not as bothersome as my dysesthesia and other pains.

Peristaltic Pain: Pain in the hollow organs (visceral pain)

I think that my peristaltic pain is mild.

So, have we all learned something today? I think the takeaway is that I need to get on a disease-modifying medication before my Central Pain becomes severe.