Does your body hurt in several places?

Pain that reshapes everyday plans

For Khoma the pain gets in the way of rest and sleep, for Bazhana it gets in the way of moving, and for Anatolii morning pain comes with broken sleep. The section “Movement at a manageable pace” covers what you can do while the cause is unclear.

If at least one of these stories resembles yours, note which activities the pain has made harder. If none of them fits, the questions in the section “Which movements and activities does the pain limit?” can help you describe the pain.

Movement at a manageable pace

The approach depends on the cause of the pain. With mild pain after exertion, rest, a gradual return to movement and avoiding overload may help. With long-lasting pain, giving up activity completely does not always help: depending on your condition, a doctor may recommend gradual physical activity, physiotherapy or other forms of rehabilitation.

Getting back to movement after a break can be hard. It takes three things:

1. Energy left over after the pain and your tasks. Even a little is enough for a short outing.
2. A small goal. For Bazhana in our example, “walk to the next block” rather than “walk for an hour again, as before”.
3. A sense that the goal is within reach. Choose a route that feels doable for you right now.

It is even better if the walk is pleasant in itself, for example with someone else. When something on this list is missing, leaving home is harder than the route itself. If a fear of harming yourself holds you back, discuss with a doctor what gradual activity suits you.

If stress, anxiety or sleep problems make the pain worse, working on them can be part of combined treatment. Psychotherapy is used here not because the pain is “all in the mind”, but to reduce suffering and help you return to a fuller life. Do not take painkillers for a long time or often without a medical examination.

Checking the pain step by step

For new or persistent physical symptoms, start with a family doctor. Tell them when the pain began, where you feel it and which movements it limits. Further investigations depend on your symptoms and examination, not a standard checklist.

If long-lasting pain comes with low mood, anxiety or poor sleep, a psychiatrist may also help; the initial psychiatric consultation page explains what they will ask at the first meeting. The specialists’ areas of work are collected on the clinic’s doctors page.

Which movements and activities does the pain limit?

Body pain means unpleasant sensations in the muscles, joints, back, neck or other parts of the body, which can be local or widespread. Note where it hurts and answer these questions:

• When did the pain first appear?
• Did it come on gradually or suddenly?
• Where exactly do you feel it?
• Is the pain constant, or does it come in episodes?
• What is it like: aching, sharp, burning, shooting, pressing or something else?
• What makes it worse, and what eases it?
• Is it linked to exertion, an injury, an illness or staying in one position for a long time?

If the pain came on suddenly and is very severe, or appeared after a serious injury, go straight to the first point of the section “Is it time to see a doctor about this pain?”.

Sleep and worries can affect pain

Pain can follow exertion, an injury or an infection, or come with other illnesses. Sleep and emotional tension can affect how strong it feels. This does not make the pain imaginary and does not remove the need to check new or persistent symptoms.

If low mood and loss of interest in life persist along with the pain, a doctor may also assess for depression. Body pain on its own does not yet mean that you have this disorder.

How pain is bound up with tension and fatigue

Body pain often comes with other complaints. Compare which is closer to your experience.

• Muscle tension. Your shoulders, neck or jaw are constantly tense. See the page on muscle tension.
• Constant fatigue. You have little energy and rest does not help, as for Khoma in our example. Compare with the description of constant fatigue.
• Psychosomatic pain. The pain gets noticeably worse when you are upset. The page on psychosomatic pain looks at what this is like.
• Headache. It is mainly your head that hurts. See the page on headaches.

These complaints often occur together, and one of them on its own decides nothing.

Is it time to see a doctor about this pain?

1. If the pain came on suddenly and very intensely, appeared after a serious injury, or comes with problems moving, loss of sensation, marked weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, breathlessness, chest pain or loss of consciousness, you need urgent medical help: call 103 or 112 in Ukraine.
2. If the pain comes with a high temperature, marked swelling, redness, unexplained weight loss, constant night pain, marked weakness or other unusual symptoms, a medical assessment is especially important.
3. If the pain lasts several weeks, gradually gets worse, keeps coming back or noticeably limits movement and everyday activities, see a doctor.
4. If long-lasting pain comes with low mood, anxiety, poor sleep, withdrawal from people or a marked drop in quality of life, a mental health professional may also help.
5. If the pain is mild and appeared after exertion, start with the steps in the section “Movement at a manageable pace”.