Chronic pain as described by Chronic Pain patients

It's hard to describe chronic pain but we try. Here are some of those attempts.

[itfuckinghurtslike]

It feels like someone is scraping my joints with a rusty spoon.

Anonymous with Chronic Knee Pain

[itfuckinghurtslike]

It feels like every abdominal muscle I have is constantly cramping and like my bladder is simultaneously on fire and being stabbed.

Anonymous with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Interstitial Cystitis

[itfuckinghurtslike]

It hurts like a thousand sunburns combined with the horrible pain that comes when your leg goes to sleep and is just waking back up. At the same time. Occasionally, sharp shooting pain joins in the fun. This is all down my shoulder, upper back and in my neck.

Anonymous with Cervical Radiculopathy (Caused By A Herniated Disk)

[itfuckinghurtslike]

It feels like my organs are growing spikes inside them and as they grow they rip out of the organs and plunge into my abdomen. It feels like soon they'll be ripping their way out of my body completely

Georgia with Endometriosis and Neuropathic Pain

[itfuckinghurtslike]

I feel like my bones were replaced with rusted metal spikes and the spaces in between filled with gravel.

Anonymous with No Illness Disclosed 

[itfuckinghurtslike]

My muscle spasms feel like there are electric eels dipped in cayenne writhing beneath my skin.

Anonymous with No Illness Disclosed

[itfuckinghurtslike]

It feels like someone staple-gunned my spine to hold it in place, and the staples are falling out and fucking with my muscles and joints

Anonymous with No Illness Disclosed 

[itfuckinghurtslike]

It hurts like I'm being stabbed with a red hot knife that is then dragged down my leg. Then there's the muscle spasms, like someone kicks your knees out and you fall because you lose all sensation/function.

Anonymous with - Arthritis (hip) and a Slipped Lumbar Disc

[itfuckinghurtslike]

It feels like someone poured acid into my bloodstream, and I can feel every muscle, every vein, every single nerve as it burns.

Anonymous with Undiagnosed

[itfuckinghurtslike]

I feel like someone replaced all my joints with tiny little bags of sharp gravel and every movement makes them grind and crunch together.

Anonymous with No Illness Disclosed

[itfuckinghurtslike]

It feels like I've been drug behind a truck for the past 18 years.

Anonymous with No Illness Disclosed

[itfuckinghurtslike]

It feels like my innards are being pushed through a meat grinder. Slowly. And every movement I make has a 40% chance of adding crushed glass into the mix.

Anonymous with Chronic Pelvic Floor Myalgia

[itfuckinghurtslike]

it feels like my joints are full of sand that is also on fire.

Anon with No Illness Disclosed

[itfuckinghurtslike]

It feels like my spine and my nerves are being yanked and torn in all different directions all at once. Like someone is squeezing my heart and all my muscles with all the strength they have.

Anon with Fibromyalgia

[itfuckinghurtslike]

it feels like i'm wearing a corset with spikes stabbing between my ribs, and about 40lbs each of crushing pressure sitting on my ribcage & pelvis.

Anon with possible Multiple Sclerosis and Endometriosis

[itfuckinghurtslike]

It often feels like my spine was replaced by a scalding hot pipe, splitting open with shattering force, wrapped tightly in barbed wire, while my hip feels like it's too big for its socket, grating and clicking almost constantly.

Anon with Chronic Back and Hip Pain

[itfuckinghurtslike]

I've lost weight from being in so much pain that I lose my appetite. My dark circles look like black eyes now. No one believes that I'm in pain, no one I know can imagine the pain I'm in. I annoy my best friend by how I cry about it.

Anon with Undiagnosed