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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Sprains, strains, ligament injuries, muscle injuries and athletic injuries to soft tissue or bone are common causes of pain. In addition, acute injury and chronic conditions such as arthritis are common pain sources.

Pain under the kneecap is called patello-femoral pain. It can be caused by numerous conditions including chondromalacia patella, a common degenerative aging condition of the articular cartilage of the undersurface of the patella. Physical therapy helps reduce the pain and swelling as well as strengthens the quadriceps muscle(anterior thigh muscle) The muscle becomes weak when the joint is painful. If the joint pain can be reduced and the muscle strengthened, most of the symptoms will improve.

For the most part, a kidney stone does not cause pain while it is located in the kidney where it was formed. When a kidney stone becomes dislodged and falls into the ureter (the tube which drains the urine from the kidney down to the bladder) the person feels pain. The pain is due to the obstruction of urine flow caused by the kidney stone blocking off the ureter. The pain is actually due to back pressure of urine in the affected kidney.

This facility could be provided na?vely albeit selecting multiple items prior to the search using a web browser would be tedious. However the underlying question is usually "can the database return lists of differential diagnoses based on combinations of findings?" The answer is no. This database is not an artificially intelligent diagnostic tool! The database neither knows the patient you have in mind nor the probabilities of causal relationships.

Chronic pelvic pain is most commonly caused by endometriosis, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, or scarring (adhesions) in the abdomen or pelvis following a pelvic infection or surgery. Some women have pelvic pain linked to diseases of the urinary tract or bowel, including irritable bowel syndrome. Sometimes, women have chronic pelvic pain that has no clear cause after thorough testing. At other times, once a painful condition is treated, the affected nerves don't stop transmitting pain signals.

Vaginal dryness and pain can have many causes, including infections, skin conditions, and allergic reactions. It is important to discuss persistent, uncomfortable symptoms with your healthcare provider.