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A blow to the shin, a lumbago attack... The pain affects more exposed areas, with less muscles and many nerve endings.
With pain it is difficult to make a ranking of intensity. Doctors warn that it depends on many factors: genetic, hormonal... and even emotional issues, and that each person tolerates one type or another better. Still, there is some consensus regarding some parts of the body in which we see stars when we are hit because they are more unprotected by muscle or by concentrating many nerve endings. There are also pathologies that are objectively very painful. We review those sensitive areas.
THE BACK, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON AREAS OF PAIN. The back can become a torture as we age. "Back problems are one of the most frequent causes of pain, a consequence of the effect of the passage of time, osteoarthritis, a sedentary life and repetitive work. And mainly, in the lumbar area," highlights María Luisa Franco, specialist in Anesthesiology and president of the Pain section at the Academy of Medical Sciences of the Basque Country. Eight out of ten consultations for pain have to do with that area of our body.
"In 5% of cases, back pain becomes chronic and is responsible for 80% of health spending in any country," says this specialist. Lumbago attacks are very disabling and test our resistance to pain. They can be combated but not only with medications. "The patient must be involved, exercising is an essential part of the treatment", warns María Luisa Franco. "And you have to enjoy life and be happy, it releases endorphins, a true natural pain reliever," she encourages.
THE POINTS OF THE BODY WHICH BLOWS HURT THE MOST. And where do we feel the most pain if we receive a blow? "In general, they are the most unprotected areas, where there is no muscle or where more nerve endings are concentrated," explains Ander Álava, a specialist in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Biscay. One of those extremely sensitive parts is what we know as the 'funny bone', which is not a bone, it is a large nerve, the ulnar.
It is located on the back of the elbow and covers the humerus until it reaches the root of the hand. Since there is hardly any fat and muscle in the elbow area, when we hit ourselves, the pain-sensitive nerve is quickly activated. Blows to the shin - the tibia - and the knee, the tailbone or a bite on the tongue also give us a hard time, for the same reason that they are more exposed points, adds the specialist from the Biscayan hospital.
We are used to seeing movie scenes in which when a person is tortured, splinters get stuck in their nails. It has its explanation. A study published in the journal 'Annals of Neurology' placed the ends of the fingers as one of the most sensitive points on the body, as they are full of nerve endings which send pain signals directly to the brain. And male readers will want to include hitting the testicles in this list of unbearable conditions.
Álava points out, however, that pain is a sensation that depends on many factors, from genetic to hormonal, emotional and even cultural. “It is a perception, a unique experience, it influences even if you are stressed or distracted,” he highlights.
FROM CORNEAL ULCER TO TRIGGEMINAL NEURALGIA. The cornea is another weak point. It is the most exposed structure of the eye and concentrates many sensory nerve endings. A corneal ulcer is one of the pathologies that cause the most pain, points out the Rehabilitation specialist. Dr. Ander Álava also places bone fractures as one of the hardest experiences, and even ankle sprains - which can cause us to lose consciousness. More painful trances: burns.
Among the first positions of intense suffering is trigeminal neuralgia.either. "It is a terrible pain, one of the worst," adds Dr. María Luisa Franco. It affects the trigeminal nerve, which transmits sensations from the face to the brain.. A study from the Department of Pain Medicine at Stanford University came to the same conclusion: "It is the worst pain a human being can suffer." It affects women more, by the way. The British health system completed the ranking of the hardest pains to endure and included these pathologies: herpes zoster, cluster headache, renal colic, herniated disc, pancreatitis and gout.
Source: Heraldo de Aragón
