Distinguishing different types of pain

• Nociceptive or somatic pain (from usual sensory receptors in the body, acute pain): aching, pressure, throbbing.
• Neuropathic (from damaged nervous tissue, often described as electric or shooting or burning pain, chronic—common cause: diabetes).
• Inflammatory (nociceptive pain specifically because of mediators causing tissue inflammation).

Treatment by type of pain:

• Nocioceptive: Acetaminophen, NSAIDS, steroids
• Neuropathic: antidepressant or anticonvulsant drugs
• Inflammatory: NSAIDS or steroids

Treatment by site:

• Bone pain from cancer metastases is both nocioceptive and neuropathic.