The Unexpected Area People Experience The Most Pain - Exclusive Survey
We have all felt pain at one point in our lives. It's good to be aware of pain because it is your nervous system alerting you that something could be wrong (via MedlinePlus). The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as an "unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage," noting that it is different for everyone.
Pain can be mild, feeling more like a sting to more severe sensations that are more like a dull, throbbing ache. Some pain can last a long time, which is referred to as "chronic pain." Pain that comes and goes is often called "acute pain." Pain can be caused by nerve or tissue damage, and it can be in your muscles or your joints, per WebMD. With so many types of pain, Health Digest wanted to know the most common type of pain our readers experienced, and some of the answers are unexpected.
The most common pain has many causes
Health Digest polled 610 readers about their pain, and a whopping 31.64% said they experienced back pain the most. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, there are several types of back pain, and they can be caused by many conditions, including sprains, degenerative diseases, injuries, and various other medical conditions. The second most common complaint for pain, according to 19.34% of Health Digest readers, is pain in the knees. Like back pain, knee pain can affect anyone at any age, and it can result from several different causes (via Mayo Clinic).
Head pain is third on the list, with 16.72% of the respondents saying it was the most common area they felt pain. Fourth place was a tie with our readers, with 11.31% saying they experienced more pain in their feet and shoulders. Hip pain was last on the list with 9.67% of the respondents saying they felt this pain the most.