the three types of pain

• TYPE I PAIN: SIMPLE NOCICEPTION     Nociception is defined as the stimulation of free nerve endings, as well as the body’s attempt to determine whether these stimuli are noxious or not — and if so, how noxious.  Nociceptors are found in skin, joints, organs, and other tissues.  Type I Pain is the kind of pain that occurs when your 400 lb calf steps on your toe.  It hurts, but as soon as you push the calf off your foot, the pain is gone.  There is no real injury, no Inflammation, and no residual pain.  There will be a 100% recovery that occurs almost immediately. 

• TYPE II PAIN:  INFLAMMATORY   This is the sort of pain that arises from some sort of injury or LOCAL INFLAMMATORY PROCESS.  There is a local accumulation of pain-producing inflammatory chemicals and exudates that causes the classic signs associated  with “Local Inflammation” (Rubor, Tumor, Dolar, Kalor, and Functio Laesa — see the link).  90% of these folks will recover within 2-3 months.  However, approximately 10% will end up with……..

• TYPE III PAIN:  SUPER-SENSITIVITY   This is bad stuff.   In Type III pain, the Nervous System (unlike the previous two types of pain) is no longer working properly.  This can cause injured tissues to become over 1,000 times more pain sensitive than normal tissue (see Dr. Gunn’s work HERE).  This type of pain can become locked into the Nervous System and ‘learned’ Think about it this way; if you shoot enough free throws, you eventually get pretty good at making them because you develop the neurological pathways for doing so.  The same thing can happen with pain.  Things like Hyperalgia (stimulus that should cause pain causes inordinate amounts of pain) and Allodynia (stimulus that should not cause pain causes pain) are associated with Type III Pain, as are poor outcomes. 

You might assume that just because you have had your pain a long time, you have moved into the realm of Type III Pain.  Many times, this is not the case.  For proof of this, take a look at our VIDEO TESTIMONIALS and see how many people we have helped with problems they have had for decades.  Two of the main things I want you take away from this is that firstly, you must understand and control INFLAMMATION, and secondly, you must grasp how big a deal problems (microscopic adhesions) in the FASCIA can be.  If you will do these two things, many many “permanent” PAIN SYNDROMES can be solved — or at least dramatically improved.  You also need to be sure not to take injuries for granted as so many of them end up “chronic”.

For people who know beyond the shadow of a doubt they have Type III Pain, I would think about making an appointment with a Functional Neurologist trained by DR. TED CARRICK.