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Dr Amir Khan, best known for appearing on ITV daytime shows like Lorraine and This Morning, claimed that people who experience “daily pain” often feel unheard and unsupported. In a heartfelt Instagram post, the TV doctor said: “Please know this
Your pain is REAL. You deserve compassion, understanding, and proper support.”
Pain is a generalised symptom that could indicate lots of different problems, but that doesn’t make what you’re feeling any less debilitating. Not all pain is the same, despite sometimes feeling that way. If you’re told that your test results are coming back normal, but continue to struggle, you might want to consider asking your doctor about these types of conditions.
Finally getting to the root cause of your pain might help start the road to recovery and managing your issue once and for all. By better understanding what is going on inside your body, you can take “the first step to managing [the pain/issue] properly”, Dr Amir Khan said.
If it seems like it’s “all in your head” then you should not dismiss the chance it could be ‘nosyplastic pain’. This type of debilitating pain is often “really common to experience” and often unaffected by standard painkillers, the doctor added.
Dr Khan said: “Nociplastic pain happens when the nervous system becomes overly sensitive – like the volume dial on pain [threshold] is turned up way too high – even without obvious tissue damage or nerve injury.” People with fibromyalgia, chronic lower back pain and long COVID all feel this type of pain.
The doctor reassured people that “nociplastic pain is real, and it’s not all in your head.” He explained that the pain itself is heightened because, as some research shows, parts of the brain responsible for recognising and responding to pain go into hyperdrive.
Fibromyalgia, also called fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body. The NHS states that sufferers might notice a range of symptoms as well as unexplained bouts of pain, such as:
- muscle stiffness
- difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, which can make you feel very tired (fatigue)
- problems with mental processes (known as “fibro-fog”), such as difficulty concentrating or remembering things
- headaches
- irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a digestive condition that causes stomach pain and bloating
- feelings of frustration, worry or low mood
The exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown. It is thought to be related to abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain and changes in how the central nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and nerves) processes pain messages around the body.
If you are struggling with unexplained pain, and you believe you do have other symptoms which match the information above, it could be worth asking your doctor to assess you for fibromyalgia. Although there’s currently no cure for fibromyalgia, there are treatments to help relieve some of the symptoms and make the condition easier to live with.
Dr Khan said: “If you’ve ever been told that your scans are fine and there’s nothing wrong – and you still live with daily pain. Please know, your pain is real – you deserve compassion, understanding, and proper support.”
It’s important to see a GP if you have persistent pain that is interfering with your daily activities, or if you are concerned about the cause of your pain. Helpful resources can be found on the NHS website here.
