title: [Tips for taking history of pain].
abstract: Pain is physiologically classified as nociceptive pain, neuropathic pain, and psychogenic pain. Nociceptive pain is further divided into visceral pain, somatic pain, and referred pain. Visceral pain is dull, and it is difficult to locate the origin of such pain. Somatic pain is sharp, severe, and well localized. On receiving visceral input for pain, it affects somatic nerve inputting to the same spinal segments, then referred pain is felt in the skin and muscles supplied by it. Referred pain is felt in an area that is located at a distance from its cause. History taking is the most important factor for determining the cause of pain. Generally, all the necessary information regarding pain can be acquired if pain-related history is obtained using the "OPQRST" mnemonic, that is, onset, provocation/palliative factor, quality, region/radiation/related symptoms, severity, and time characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Chiba University Hospital, Chuo-ku, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazutaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Masatomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikusaka
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors