Ouch! A primer on pain in adults

Understanding pain and when to seek help

Whether you’ve just finished high school or are a soon-to-be grandparent, you’re probably no stranger to pain. Pain comes in many forms and affects us all in different ways. Read on to learn more about common pain conditions and when to get help.

Headaches

Almost half of all adults will experience headaches at some point in their lives, with tension-type headaches being the most common.¹ Migraines, another headache type, are less common but usually more severe.¹ Common headache triggers include stress, poor sleep and fatigue.² Use this chart to figure out which type of headache you have:^2,3

	Migraines	Tension-Type
Location:	Throbbing, severe pain	Mild-moderate tightness and pressure, aching pain
Additional symptoms:	Nausea, light sensitivity Aura (short episode of vision changes, numbness or tingling before migraine)	Rare
Duration:	4 hours to 72 hours	30 mins to 7 days
Unique triggers:	Fluorescent lighting Weather changes	Uncomfortable positions Poor posture Eyestrain

Contact emergency services or seek immediate medical attention if you notice:³

• stroke symptoms (e.g. sudden tingling, numbness, weakness, or loss of movement in your face, arms, or legs; sudden vision changes; sudden trouble speaking or sudden confusion)
• fever and a stiff neck
• new nausea and vomiting
• inability to keep food or liquids down

Talk to your doctor if you’re noticing headaches that are:³

• accompanied by other symptoms
• affecting your day-to-day life
• happening after coughing, exercise, sexual activity or sneezing
• interrupting your sleep
• new or different
• not improving within 24 hours (migraines)
• not relieved by your medications
• worsening or happening frequently

Arthritis and Joint Pain

Arthritis refers to inflammation or swelling of the joints.⁴ Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, where the cartilage between your joints breaks down over time.⁵ You may develop OA from sports injuries, accidents, physically stressful occupations, obesity or if you’re not very active.⁵ The risk of developing OA increases with age.⁵ OA tends to occur in the spine, hands, hips, knees and big toes.⁵

With OA, you might notice pain, swelling, stiffness or creaking sounds at the affected joints.⁵ Joint stiffness is usually worse when you haven’t been moving for a prolonged period of time, like when you wake up in the morning or after getting up from a nap.⁵ As OA worsens, the joints may become more rigid or deformed.³ OA can affect your life in many ways, including your mood, sleep and daily activities.

Speak to your doctor if you have:³

• new joint pain for more than 7-10 days
• recent significant injury
• recent minor injury if you’re a senior
• severe pain
• fever, rash or swelling of the joint
• muscle weakness
• burning, numbness or tingling sensations
• morning stiffness that lasts longer than 1 hour

Back and Neck Pain

Back pain affects up to 80% of people at some point in their lifetime.⁶ It’s most common in adults from ages 20 to 50, but it can occur at any age.³ Back pain is usually caused by injuries, from minor ones caused by activities like yardwork, to more serious ones from car crashes, osteoarthritis, or spinal conditions.³ Your symptoms will depend on the cause.³

Neck pain is more common after the age of 50.³ Keeping your head in an uncomfortable position for long periods, like when you’re working or while you’re asleep, can cause strain and lead to neck pain.³ It can also be caused by injuries, such as falls or whiplash, infections and other medical conditions.³

Both conditions can be forms of muscle pain, as the back or neck muscles may be affected.³ They can be short- or long-term in duration, depending on the cause.³

Contact emergency services or seek immediate medical attention if you notice back or neck pain and:³

• heart attack symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath and nausea
• signs of spinal damage after an injury, including inability to move body parts; severe pain; or weakness, tingling or numbness in the arms or legs

Speak with your doctor if you notice:³

• new (or worsening) numbness or weakness in your legs
• new loss of bowel or bladder control
• long-term pain that suddenly worsens outside of exercise
• new or worsening pain and you have a history of cancer or HIV infection
• pain that wakes you up
• symptoms of a urinary tract infection (e.g. fever, painful urination)

It’s important to know when you can manage your own pain and when to seek help. You can always ask a Rexall® pharmacist to assess your pain symptoms if you’re feeling unsure or to help you find the right over-the-counter product for pain relief. They can also help you to set up a virtual appointment with a doctor for further assessment.