Everyone feels some kind of pain from time to time. Pain is the most common symptom of potentially thousands of injuries, illnesses, disorders and conditions that you may experience in your lifetime. It can also result from treatments for conditions and illnesses. The pain may last for a short period of time and disappear when you are treated (acute pain). Or it may also last for months or years (chronic pain).

Pain management experts help you manage pain with medications, procedures, exercises and therapy. To reduce or relieve pain, your provider may recommend one approach or a combination of several. You may get care at a pain clinic, provider office or hospital.

Depending on the cause and type of pain, complete relief may not be possible and the pain may not improve immediately. Your provider will work with you to customize your pain management plan to help you feel better.

Anyone in pain can benefit from a pain management plan. A comprehensive plan can help people manage pain that lasts a few days (such as after an injury or surgery). It can also help people who have long-term pain from illnesses or chronic conditions.

Pain is the main symptom of a wide range of injuries, infections and diseases. Cancer pain can result from almost any type of cancer. One of the first signs of a heart attack is often chest pain that can move to your arms, back or jaw. Some of the most common conditions that cause pain include:

• Arthritis and muscle and joint injuries: several types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis and gout, cause severe joint pain. Orthopaedic injuries (such as frozen shoulder) limit mobility and lead to pain and stiffness.
• Autoimmune disorders: Lupus, Crohn's disease and other autoimmune disorders cause your immune system to attack your body.
• Back injuries: Herniated discs, sciatica and other back problems are common causes of pain and limited mobility.
• Chronic pain disorders: There are several disorders that can lead to widespread pain throughout your body. These include fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and central pain syndrome.
• Endometriosis: This painful condition causes the lining of the uterus to grow outside the walls of the uterus. Endometriosis causes abdominal pain and irregular periods.
• Pain in the face: Several conditions can cause pain in your face, including trigeminal neuralgia (TN), an abscessed tooth and other dental problems.
• Headaches: Migraines and cumulative headaches cause head and neck pain.
  Kidney stones and urinary tract problems: Kidney stones can cause severe pain when they pass through your body in urine (pee). Interstitial cystitis (painful bladder syndrome) causes pelvic pain and pressure.
• Nerve damage (neuropathy): damaged nerves can lead to pain, tingling and tingling. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common type of neuropathy.

Some types of pain are caused by illness or an accident. Other pains may remain or return after treatment. Sometimes, pain is the result of treatments (such as pain after surgery). Some pains have no known cause. Types of pain include:

• Acid: This type of pain is acute and often results from injury. Acute pain improves when providers treat the injury or illness causing the pain. This type of pain can result from a bone fracture, muscle spasm, burn or other type of accident. Certain diseases and disorders, such as appendicitis and shingles, cause acute pain.
• Chronic: Providers call chronic pain pain pain that lasts more than six months. This type of pain can result from an untreated injury or illness. It can also result from conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia or nerve damage (neuropathy). Back pain is another type of chronic pain.
• Spinal pain: The nerve cell endings (nociceptors) send pain signals to your brain when you have an injury. Nerve pain happens when you break a bone, hit your head or pull a muscle. The pain can be sudden and short-lived or long-lasting. It can affect your internal organs (visceral pain) or your musculoskeletal system (body pain).
• Neuropathic: Problems with the nervous system cause neuropathic pain (nerve pain). It happens when nerves accidentally fire pain signals to the brain, even when they are not damaged. Diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS) and HIV usually cause this type of pain.