Putting together a pain glossary

I’d like to put together a glossary on different medical terms used when treating or managing pain. So many times healthcare professionals (including myself) will use words without realizing that they may not be understood or, worse, misunderstood.

I’ll start on that but you can all help, if you want. If you have come across a word or term that you didn’t understand, please submit it and we’ll include it in the glossary. The more comprehensive it is, the better it will be for everyone all around.

The words or terms can be as simple as describing the difference between acute pain (short-term, usually sudden pain that usually has a specific cause) and chronic pain (pain that lasts 3 or more months, can come and go, may or may not have a specific cause), or defining what is neuropathic pain (pain that comes from the nerves). We can add names of medications and treatments as well.