The Types of Post-Surgery Pain You May Experience

Pain after surgery is to be expected and can have a variety of causes, depending on the location and nature of the procedure.

While post-surgical pain in general is common, not all pain sensations are the same. Pain around an incision (wound), for example, is different from the throat pain caused by the use of a breathing tube if general anesthesia was necessary.

This article looks at some of the different types of pain you may have after surgery. It also discusses ways to manage your pain.

Nociceptive Pain

Nociceptive pain is the most common type of pain. When someone says they are "in pain," this is usually what they mean. There are different types of nociceptive pain.

Superficial Somatic Pain

Somatic pain is pain caused by a superficial injury. Superficial means the injury is on the surface. Causes of superficial somatic pain include:

• Cuts
• Bruises
• Burns
• Skin wounds from a surgical incision

Symptoms of superficial somatic pain include:

• Sharp pain at the site of the injury
• Burning
• A pricking sensation
• Throbbing
  

Deep Somatic Pain

Deep somatic pain comes from tissues deep within the body. This includes tissues like:

• Ligaments
• Bones
• Muscle
• Tendons

You feel deep somatic pain after an ankle sprain or broken bone, or when a surgeon cuts through muscle or other internal tissue. For example, a surgeon must cut through the muscles of the abdominal wall to remove an inflamed appendix. The pain that comes from those muscles is a deep somatic pain.

Symptoms of deep somatic pain include:

• Dull pain
• Aching

Visceral Pain

Visceral pain can be caused by surgery on the organs or by other types of organ damage such as that caused by cancer or an infection.

The process of cutting into an organ can cause visceral pain. You may feel it in your chest, abdomen, or pelvis. Gas that travels through the gastrointestinal tract after surgery can also cause this kind of pain. It may also be caused by appendicitis.

Symptoms of visceral pain can be vague or dull and include:

• Aching
• Pressure
• Squeezing
• Cramping

Visceral pain does not always seem to come from the location of the problem. The pain may be general. It may even seem like it's coming from another part of your body. This makes it hard to pinpoint its origins.

Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain is caused by damage to nerve cells. This damage can be a result of surgery. It can also be caused by injury or diseases like diabetes.

Types of neuropathic pain include:

• Central neuropathic pain (CNP): This is pain that happens after damage to the brain or spinal cord. This type of pain could be caused by surgical damage to a nerve. This might happen during brain, head, or spinal surgery.
• Peripheral neuropathic pain: This type of pain comes from nerves that are not part of the brain or spinal cord. Examples include nerves in the arms and legs. The repair or replacement of a joint is an example of surgery that could cause this kind of pain.

Neuropathic pain may feel:

• Sharp
• Shooting or like an electrical shock
• Burning
• Tingling, like pins and needles, or prickly
• Stabbing
  

Referred Pain

Referred pain occurs when the brain can't tell where the pain is coming from. This happens because the brain gets bundled information from different parts of the body through one set of nerves.

This kind of pain may happen during a heart attack. Some heart attack patients have referred pain in the left arm. This is because the nerve signals from the heart and arm are sent to the brain together.

Phantom Limb Pain

Phantom limb pain is a unique phenomenon. When you have this kind of pain, you continue to feel a sensation in a body part that has been amputated, or removed.

The name "phantom limb pain" can be misleading. This pain can happen in other body parts, too. People who have had a breast or other non-limb body part removed may also feel this kind of pain.

In the past, phantom limb pain was thought to be psychological. It is now known that it originates in the nervous system.

Some people with this condition can simply feel the presence of the amputated body part. Others may experience:

• Pain or numbness in the missing limb even though it is physically not there
• Like the missing toes or fingers (if they are gone) are moving
• Like the missing limb is getting shorter (also called telescoping)

What to Do About Pain After Surgery

Pain after surgery is normal. Your surgeon will prescribe or recommend pain medication for you to take after your procedure. This does not necessarily mean you will have no pain. It means your pain will be tolerable.

Generally speaking, post-surgical pain is at its worst for the first 24 to 48 hours after a procedure. This can vary depending on several factors, including how well your pain is being controlled.

Your pain should slowly improve each day. Use your pain medication as prescribed so you can get ahead of the pain, rather than waiting to take the medication until the pain worsens. "Toughing it out" can actually slow your recovery. It can also prevent you from getting up and moving in the days and weeks after surgery.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Motrin (ibuprofen) are typically used for 10 days or fewer. This is because of potential side effects like stomach ulcers. Opioids like OxyContin (oxycodone) should be taken for the shortest amount of time possible. Addiction is rare when they are used for five days or fewer. Always follow your doctor's instructions.

Summary

It is common to experience pain after surgery. There are several different types of pain, however, with different symptoms. The type of pain you experience will depend on what kind of surgery you had and on what parts of your body.