Pain can present in many different ways depending on the root cause of your pain and other factors that vary from person to person. When we ask our patients to describe their pain, two of the more common descriptions of pain we hear are a burning or aching sensation. We ask our patients to describe their pain sensations, as this can provide valuable clues about what may be causing their pain and which treatments are most appropriate. We’ll take a closer look at burning vs aching pain to help you understand what your symptoms could be telling you about the cause of your pain.
Why Type of Pain Matters
When you are evaluated for your pain, the two most common questions you’ll be asked are how much pain you’re in and how the pain feels. Burning and aching are two of the more common descriptions of pain, with the differences in how pain is presenting offering pain management doctors valuable clues into what could be causing your pain. Different tissues and parts of the body generate different types of pain sensations when they are injured, which allows our doctors to zero in on the root cause of your pain and develop treatment plans that can provide you with the highest level of pain relief possible. We’ll take a closer look at burning pain vs aching pain to help you understand what chronic pain-causing conditions cause these types of pain.
What Causes Burning Pain?
When a patient describes their pain as “burning,” it often indicates that they are dealing with nerve irritation, compression, or nerve damage. Some of the chronic pain-causing conditions that cause burning pain include:
- Sciatica
- Herniated discs
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
While burning pain is a common way patients describe the pain caused by these conditions, some patients also describe the pain sensations as:
- Shooting
- Electric-like
- Tingling
- Stabbing
At Macomb Pain Management, our team of board-certified pain management doctors can help you identify the root cause of your burning pain and develop an effective treatment plan.
What Causes Aching Pain?
While burning pain is commonly associated with nerve issues, aching pain is more often seen with musculoskeletal issues. Aching pain also tends to feel as if it’s deeper in the body than burning pain. Some of the more common issues that can cause aching pain include:
- Osteoarthritis
- Muscle strains and overuse injuries
- Tendonitis
- Degenerative disc disease
Aching pain can have other characteristics too and be described as:
- Dull
- Sore
- Throbbing
- Stiff
- Deep
If you’re dealing with aching pain that won’t go away, our team at Macomb Pain Management can get you the answers you need for effective and safe pain management.
When to Seek Care for Aching or Burning Pain
If you’re dealing with burning or aching pain that has lasted longer than a couple of weeks, is worsening, or is impairing your quality of life, we recommend seeing a pain management provider. Coming under the care of a pain management provider like ours at Macomb Pain Management can help you manage your pain, prevent it from worsening, and provide insights into what is causing it in the first place.
Find Relief From Burning and Aching Pain at Macomb Pain Management
You don’t have to struggle with burning and aching pain alone when you come under the care of our team of pain management providers and specialists at Macomb Pain Management. To schedule your first appointment and be seen for your burning or aching pain, give our office a call today at (248) 844-8281.
