27/08/2026
Pain isn't one thing, even though we tend to talk about it that way.
Mechanical pain comes from joints, muscles, discs, or ligaments. It's often linked to movement or posture, tends to worsen with activity, and eases with rest. Joint arthritis, muscle strain, and disc-related back pain all fall here.
Neuropathic pain comes from irritated or damaged nerves. It's often described as burning, shooting, electric, or tingling, and it can travel along an arm or leg. It can also show up even at rest, which throws people off. Sciatica and post-surgical nerve pain are common examples.
Nociplastic pain is different again. This is when the nervous system itself becomes overly sensitive, sometimes without a clear injury or ongoing tissue damage. Pain can feel widespread, persistent, and disproportionate to what's actually going on in the body. Sleep, stress, and fatigue often play a bigger role here than people expect.
Here's the part that trips most people up: these three can overlap. A joint problem can irritate a nerve. Long-standing pain can sensitise the nervous system over time. That's why simple labels don't always tell the full story, and why treating nerve pain like muscle pain, or sensitised pain like a fresh injury, often leads to frustration and slow progress.
Effective care starts with figuring out which one is actually driving things.
Does your pain match one of these, or does it feel like a mix?
