Pain can sometimes seem obvious such as the feeling you get when you have a broken arm. But there are cases where pain cannot be seen, for example a slipped disc. At times it is difficult to find the exact cause of a person's pain.
There are different types of pain: Acute pain, which is also referred to as short-term pain, an example is pain from bites or stings. Chronic pain is also referred as long-term or persistent pain, an example is arthritis pain. Recurrent or intermittent pain is described as pain that comes and goes, an example is toothache.
Pain is believed to be linked directly with the emotional centres in our brains. This means if we are feeling anxious, angry or depressed, our pain is likely to worsen. However, that does not mean pain is ''just in the mind'' rather pain is a complex combination involving our whole being.

If you are suffering from long-term pain or feel generally concerned about your health, It is very important to book an appointment with your GP. Only you can really say how painful something is. Your doctor will want to listen and work together with you to improve your situation.

Pain can sometimes be clearly caused by a medical condition or specific injury, however in some cases, the cause of pain may be less obvious.

The most common types of pain include: headache, sore throat, toothache, muscle cramps, strains, cuts, burns or bone fractures.
Certain illnesses such as arthritis, flu, endometriosis, and fibromyalgia can also cause pain. People may develop other symptoms with the pain, examples include nausea, vomiting, fatigue or mood changes. However these symptoms depend on the underlying cause.

Your doctor will first ask you questions and conduct a physical examination on you.
Prepare yourself to describe the pain specifically, when did it start? How would you describe the pain? Is it mild, moderate, or severe? Other questions your doctor may ask is how the pain affects your daily activities, what triggers your pain, if you have any other symptoms, whether you have been diagnosed with any health conditions, are you taking any medications or supplements? Have you had any recent injuries? Have you recently changed your diet or exercise routine?

Depending on your medical history and your symptoms, your doctor may order some tests to identify the potential causes your pain: X-ray, MRI, CT or ultrasound scan to check for signs of damage in your internal organs, nerves, bones, tendons, muscles and more. Your doctor may also order blood test, urine or stool tests to check for signs of infection or other illnesses.

The treatment of pain depends on the injury or underlying cause. Acute or short-term pain can generally be managed and resolved once the cause has been treated or settles on it's own. However, chronic or long-term pain can be more complex to manage, especially if the cause of the pain is unknown.

Pain caused by an injury generally heals over time, however you may need medication, surgery or other medical attention depending on your situation.

Chronic or long-term pain should generally be managed by a doctor. Health conditions such as arthritis, cancer or chronic migraine requires medical attention. The doctor may prescribe pain medications, refer for surgery or other therapies to help treat your pain.

The following medications may be suggested to ease the pain itself: paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen which can be purchased over-the-counter. In some cases, your healthcare professional may prescribe prescription-only drugs such as as naproxen, opioid medications or antidepressants.

Other treatments your doctor may recommend include: physical therapy, which is helpful for injuries or occupational therapy, which can help you learn how to limit pain by making changes to your daily activities and environments.

Calpol infant suspension contains paracetamol which helps relieve pain and fever. It can be used for cold and flu symptoms, sore throat, headache, teething, earache, post-immunisation fever and other aches and pains. Calpol starts to work on fever in just 15 minutes. This medicine is suitable for children age 2 months-6 years. The suspension is strawberry flavour, which is usually pleasant for children to take and each pack comes with an easy dose syringe.

Ibuprofen has effective anti-inflammatory properties, it is used for the relief of headaches, migraine, dental pain, period pain, muscular pain and much more. It can also be used to reduce fever and relieve the symptoms of colds and flu. This medicine is easy to swallow, fast acting and provides up to 12-hours of effective relief.