The type of pain one has says a lot about what may be causing it. Here are some brief explanations of the most typical types.

Burning pain is a common pain that is metabolic in nature. A deep burn in the lower back may be due to an injury to a muscle, disc, or ligament, but the burning itself has to do with chemical reactions, most commonly related to inflammation. Fighting the inflammation as described in the Health Topics section is therefore very important. Burning pain can be due to free radical damage also, from over-oxidation of cells and tissues. When this occurs antioxidants become very useful.

Throbbing pain is a vascular (blood vessel) type of pain. When a pathologic explanation has been ruled out, one of the most common perpetrators of this type of pain is histamine. The primary reason for histamine release is a food allergy. Eliminating the food allergy and using nutrients such as vitamin C and the bioflavonoid quercetin to help deal with the histamine usually helps tremendously with this type of pain.

Sharp and stabbing pain is most often associated with an injury to a muscle, bone, or ligament - just about anything. This type of pain is best resolved by treating the area directly. This is where specific acupressure points help out a lot, as do specific injury recollection techniques.

Numbing and "pins & needles" pain involves a nerve component. Many times there are muscle imbalances that need to be addressed in order to resolve any muscle over-facilitations (spasms) that may be compressing on a nerve. Misalignments of joints can also cause nerves to become compressed leading to altered sensations. Numbness can also have some vascular involvement. Blood flow reduction is usually evident when there is loss of color to the involved area or limb. This type of pain/numbness is very serious and requires immediate attention.

For some more discussion on pain, read "Sciatica" under Health Topics, even if you don't have low back/hip-leg pain.