Somatic pain is the most common type of pain in patients with cancer and bone metastases are the most prevalent cause. Somatic pain can be described as aching, gnawing, pounding, or cramping and can be localized, intermittent, or persistent.

Such metastases are characterized by the breakdown of existing bone while simultaneously forming new bone. Bone contains both myelinated and unmyelinated afferent fibers, with the periosteum having the highest density.

What Is Somatic Pain?

You can experience somatic discomfort in your skin, muscles, joints, and bones.

 It may have a gnawing, painful, or cramping sensation. Somatic discomfort is sometimes referred to be "sharp."

If you cut your skin, overstretch a muscle, exercise for a long time, or harm yourself falling to the ground, you will feel somatic pain.

Types of Somatic Pain :

Somatic pain comes in two flavors: shallow and deep. Where the pain originates on the body varies between them.

Skin-deep somatic pain :

The skin and mucous membranes contain nociceptive receptors, which cause superficial pain.

It is the kind of agony that results from typical, daily wounds, like a lip cut.

Indicators of superficial somatic discomfort include:

·         Pricking

·         Sharp

·         Burning

·         sharp pain

Subacute somatic pain :

Structures deeper within your body, such as your joints, bones, tendons, and muscles, are where deep somatic pain originates.4 Deep somatic pain is typically dull and painful, similar to visceral discomfort.

Depending on the severity of the trauma, deep somatic pain may be felt locally or more widely.

For instance, if you bang your knee, you just feel pain in that particular area. On the other hand, if your kneecap breaks, your entire leg will probably hurt.

Somatic Pain Reported :

Somatic pain can occasionally originate in one area of the body but manifest in another. Referred somatic pain is what develops when the source is in the deep tissues of the body.

The brain may mistakenly attribute the pain's origin there since you are not used to feeling discomfort there.

Treatment :

Numerous approaches are used to alleviate somatic pain.It depends on how bad the pain is and what's causing it. For instance, a broken bone may cause intense pain that is treated completely differently from a muscular spasm that is only mild in intensity.

NSAIDs like Aleve (naproxen) or Motrin (ibuprofen), as well as over-the-counter pain relievers like Tylenol (acetaminophen), are effective for treating the majority of mild occurrences of somatic pain.

The fact that Tylenol has no anti-inflammatory properties sets it apart significantly from NSAIDs. Therefore, Tylenol won't reduce the resulting swelling.

Nevertheless, some individuals have underlying medical issues that prevent them from using NSAIDs, such as a history of gastrointestinal bleeding, renal illness, or heart disease.

Medicines :

Muscle relaxants like may offer relief for severe somatic or musculoskeletal discomfort.9 Opioids, or drugs like oxycodone and hydrocodone, are best used to treat extremely painful conditions for which Tylenol or NSAIDs alone are ineffective.

Please be aware that there is a high danger of substance abuse and dependence with opioids. Because of this, doctors normally only prescribe opioids for brief periods of time.10

Your healthcare professional might also suggest alternative treatments, such as using a heating pad or cold pack to the sore area, depending on the intensity of the pain. Even practices like massage, physical therapy, and relaxation might be beneficial.

Summary :

Somatic discomfort typically subsides after the initial injury or insult has healed, which is good news.11 But somatic pain that persists for longer than anticipated (more than three months) might develop into chronic pain, necessitating a more thorough treatment strategy.

Read more about other pain - Abdominal Pain , Visceral Pain