In the simplest case, something dangerous -- heat from the stove, the cut of a knife, electricity from an outlet, an object colliding with your toe -- damages or threatens to damage tissue in your body. Pain receptors, called nociceptors, send signals to your brain via your spinal column telling you of the danger, so you can take measures to protect yourself or prevent further injury. This type of pain, called nociceptive pain, is the most common.

The bone spur itself has no feeling. However, when a bone spur/heel spur develops, it usually extends from the heel bone and rubs into the tissues and nerves surrounding the bottom of the foot. This often times causes inflammation of the plantar fascia and/or other surrounding tissues. Because the heel spur rubs into the tissues and nerves of the foots, pain may occur and be quite severe. See similar questions...

It is rarely possible to find the cause of a cancer in an individual, but studies on groups of people with cancer have shown specific risk factors to be associated with specific cancers. This suggests that different types of cancer probably have different causes. These studies also indicate that cancer formation is a multi-step process, and that for most cancers the time from a cancer-causing exposure to a clinically diagnosable cancer averages about 20 years. See similar questions...

What is secondary bone cancer ? Secondary bone cancer is where malignant cells have spread to the bones from other parts of the body. This is different to cancer that actually started in the bones (primary bone cancer). Virtually all types of cancer can spread to bone. Bone metastases are particularly common in people with breast, lung or prostate cancer. See similar questions...

Some of the major treatment strategies include injections of corticosteroids; minimally invasive surgical procedures; oral medications. See similar questions...

There many causes of lower back pain. The lower back called the lumbar spine is made up of 5 vertebrae with their ligamentous attachments and small facet joints. The vertebrea surrounded by muscles and nerves and are separated by shock absorbers called lumbar discs. The most frequent cause of lower back pain is micro trauma to the muscles and ligaments. This type of injury almost always heals itself within about 6 weeks. See similar questions...

Most patients who present with knee pain will have a ligament sprain, a ligament tear, a meniscus or "cartilage" tear, loose bodies, or osteoarthritis. See similar questions...

The most common cause of heel pain is incorrect foot movement during walking or running. This can place too much stress on the heel bone and the soft tissues that attach to it. An example of incorrect foot movement is excessive pronation - leaning inward as each step is completed. See similar questions...

Knee pain can result from many factors including osteoarthritis, fractures, dislocations, aseptic bone necrosis, avascular necrosis and rheumatoid arthritis. See similar questions...

The most common cause of back pain is muscle tension or spasm. This is generally caused by fatigue or overload of the back muscles associated with poor posture. Other causes are post traumatic in nature, where there are a range of injuries to soft tissue structures supporting the spine, including ligaments and intervertebral discs. A third cause are degenerative changes. These are injuries of the spine due to the wear and tear and degeneration of tissues. See similar questions...

Colorectal cancer is caused by genetic changes that occur in the cells lining the large intestine. These changes occur slowly over time, and usually form a polyp before a frank cancer develops. While we cannot yet change genes to prevent colon cancer, screening for colorectal cancer can detect earlier cancers or allow your doctor to remove polyps, so that they cannot become cancers. See similar questions...

Doctors do not know exactly what causes breast cancer. But some things are known to increase the chance that you will get it. These are called risk factors. The main risk factors for breast cancer include:1 Aging. Most breast cancer occurs in women older than 50, and the risk is greatest in women older than 60.2 Family history of breast cancer. You have a higher risk if a close family member, especially your mother or sister, has had breast cancer. Female hormones. See similar questions...

The exact cause of most colorectal cancers is not yet known. About 75% of colorectal cancers occur in people with no known risk factors. There are some known factors that may increase a person's risk of developing colorectal cancer, which include: Genetic syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC). (Just 5% of colorectal cancers are linked to these genetic syndromes.) See similar questions...

Little is really known about what causes each of the various types of childhood cancer. Research so far as not been able to tell us why certain children develop cancer and others don't. What is known is that chromosome disorders account for most leukemias. High levels of exposure to radiation, such as the use of X-rays during pregnancy have been linked with one or more childhood cancers. And children with Down Syndrome are known to be at higher risk of developing leukemia. See similar questions...

Bone tumors may be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Benign bone tumors are more common than malignant ones. Both types may grow and compress healthy bone tissue and absorb or replace it with abnormal tissue. However, benign tumors do not spread and are rarely life-threatening. Cancer that arises in the bone (primary bone cancer) is not the same disease as cancer that spreads to the bone from another part of the body (secondary bone cancer). See similar questions...

The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae, which are made of bone. Between each vertebra are soft discs with a ligamentous outer layer. These discs function as shock absorbers to protect the vertebra and the spinal cord. Many of the problems that cause back pain are the result of herniation and degeneration of the intervertebral disc. Degeneration is a process where wear and tear causes deterioration of the disc. See similar questions...