PAIN DICTIONARY
CLIENT: It hurts when I do this!
MASSAGE THERAPIST: Then don’t do it! 

| A-D | E-I | M-N | P-V |

Acute pain - a sign and symptom happens quickly, last a short amount of time and then disappear.  

Algology - the science and study of pain phenomena.

Allodynia - pain due to a stimulus that does not normally provoke pain.

Analgesia - the absence of pain in response to stimulation that would normally be painful.

Analgesic - an agent that relieves pain without causing a loss of consciousness. A common example is aspirin.

Arthralgia - pain in a joint, usually due to arthritis or arthropathy.  

Biomechanical Dysfunction - an imbalance of the musculoskeletal system resulting in faulty movement patterns.

Breakthrough Pain - a brief flare-up of severe pain that occurs even while the patient is regularly taking pain medication.

Central Pain - pain associated with a lesion of the central nervous system.

Chronic Pain - long lasting or recurring frequently over a long period of time.

Compression and Tension Neuropathies - include pain often described as sharp, stabbing, or electrical in nature.

Cramp - an abrupt and painful contraction, spontaneously Resolvent after a few minutes, treatment lies in stretching, heat treatments, and massage.

Crepitis - the coffee grinder cracking. Often persons who have these noises in the joint will have advanced degenerative changes in the joint, but not pain.

Crunchies or Adhesions - are connective tissue that would not normally be present in the body, but the body produces them under stress. These "crunchies" or adhesions are usually associated with pain, restricted blood flow, and muscle spasms or tight muscles.

Deafferentation Pain - Pain due to loss of sensory input into the central nervous system, as occurs with avulsion of the brachial plexus or other types of lesions of peripheral nerves or due to pathology of the central nervous system.

Dermatomic Pain - pain in an area of the skin.

Dermatomic and Spondylogenic Dysfunctions - are a nerve pinched where it leaves the spine, or anywhere along its route, the area that nerve serves will feel pain.

Double (or multiple) Crush Phenomenon - This was originally described because a large number of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome also appeared to have brachial plexus neuropathies.

Edema - insufficient venous blood and lymph drainage will cause an accumulation of fluid in the subcutaneous tissue and skin.

Electrical Theory - the body continually generates tiny but detectable electrical discharges.

Fascial Plane Dysfunction - where fascia is distorted and binds to itself and nearby tissues.

Fibrositic Nodules - are actual round lumps felt in the muscles on palpation. These are commonest in the shoulder and neck areas and the lumbar area.

Gate Control Theory of Pain - pain signals that pass through a number of high-traffic "gates" as they move from the area of injury upward through the spinal cord into the brain.

Golgi Tendon Organ - described in most anatomy, physiology and massage textbooks as a protective mechanism that prevents over stretching of muscles.

Hyperalgesia - a condition in which light pressure causes severe pain. This is also a clinical sign of neurological abnormalities in the skin.

Hyperaestesia - a condition in which a quick but light stroke over the skin surface is felt as a sharp pain. This is a clinical sign of neurological abnormalities in the skin.

Hyperemia - an excess of blood in an area or body part; usually indicated by red, flushed color or heat in the area.

Hyperesthesia - Increased sensitivity to stimulation, excluding the special senses.

Hyperpathia - A painful syndrome characterized by an abnormally painful reaction to a stimulus, especially a repetitive stimulus, as well as an increased threshold.

Hypertonus - areas of increased tension in the skeletal muscle. In large muscles, the hypertonus usually involves several muscular bundles, but small muscles can be affected entirely.

Hypoalgesia - Diminished pain in response to a normally painful stimulus.

Hypoesthesia - Decreased sensitivity to stimulation, excluding the special senses.

Ischemia - local and temporary decrease in blood flow to an area.

Muscle spasm - a non-voluntary contraction of the motor unit of a muscle

Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction - pain and/or physiological dysfunction originates from identifiable points within muscles and their fascial tissues.

Myogelosis - the scientific term for "nut-like" structures in the skeletal muscles. Myogelosises are formed mostly in the muscles which perform substantial isometric work. One of the most common examples of this hypertonic muscular abnormality is myogelosis in the horizontal portion of the upper part of trapezius muscle.

Myositis - muscle soreness caused by inflammation of an injured muscle.

Nerve Entrapment - a focal nerve lesion produced by constriction or mechanical distortion of the nerve, within a fibrous or fibro-osseous (boney) tunnel. A serious condition which left un-treated can lead to loss of ennervation to an area as well as nerve death. The 'trapped' nerve may be further damaged by stretching or bending.

Nerve Impingement - pressure against a nerve by the skin, fascia, muscles, ligaments, or joints.  

Neuralgia - Pain in the distribution of a nerve or nerves.

Neuritis - Inflammation of a nerve or nerves.

Neurogenic Pain - pain initiated or caused by a primary lesion, dysfunction, or transitory perturbation in the peripheral or central nervous system.

Neuromuscular Dysfunction - problems with the nerves and muscles.

Neuropathic Pain - pain that result from damage to the brain and/or spinal cord, the dorsal roots, and the peripheral nerves.

Nociceptive or Somatic Pain - often a referred pain that follows myofasical pain patterns.

Noxious Stimulus - A noxious stimulus is one which is damaging to normal tissues.

Numbness - a clinical sign of neurological abnormalities in the skin.

Pain - an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.

Pain Threshold - the least experience of pain that a subject can recognize.

Pain Tolerance Level - the greatest level of pain that a subject is prepared to tolerate.

Palpable Taut Bands (Hypertonic muscle) - are rope or string-like taut muscle fibers around the trigger point. They are likeliest to occur at the edges of large muscles. They run in the direction of the fibers of the muscle.

Paraestesia or a Tingling Sensation - a classical sign of neurological abnormalities in the skin.

Paresthesia - An abnormal sensation, whether spontaneous or evoked.

Peripheral Neurogenic Pain - pain initiated or caused by a primary lesion or dysfunction or transitory perturbation in the peripheral nervous system.

Psychogenic Pain - pain that is “generated” by the mind and emotions.

Radiculalgia - pain along the distribution of one or more sensory nerve roots.  

Radiculopathy - A disturbance of function or pathologic change in one or more nerve roots.

Radiculitis - Inflammation of one or more nerve roots. This term does not apply unless inflammation is present.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) - the most unpleasant and uncomfortable form of disabling chronic pain.

Scar tissue - tissue that results from healing of wounds; it is composed of collagenous fibers that will restrict normal elasticity of tissue involved.

Spondylogenic Dysfunction - when the joints of the spine are compressed or otherwise impaired and cause their own special trigger point-type pain or dysfunction.

Stress - the load and pressure placed upon the body for short periods of time from which the body can quickly return to normal once the stressor is removed. This brief extension beyond the body’s normal is the elastic limit and usually leads to strength and growth.

Strain - the pushing of body tissues beyond the elastic limit either gradually or suddenly. Stressors include such things as emotional trauma, accidents, pregnancy, lacking of certain nutrients, exposure to extremes of heat, sun or cold, working too hard.

Suffering - a state of emotional distress associated with events that threaten the biological and/or psychosocial integrity of the individual. Suffering often accompanies severe pain but can occur in its absence.

Tonus System Dysfunction - when overused muscles lose their ability to understand how to relax.

Trauma Reflex - a muscular act that often becomes a protective tension habit maintained as a learned response stored in the brain.

Trigger Point - A hypersensitive area or site in muscle or connective tissue usually associated with myofascial pain syndromes.

Visceral pain - pain that originates in the solid and hollow organs of the body.