Aches and Pains

Good health is something I take for granted. I'm rarely ill, and I'm quite fit and active. So when I had such serious back pain that I had to get a painkiller injection, I suddenly realised just how lucky I normally am. A day of forced bed rest made me think about all the different ways we describe pain.

Chronic pain = bad pain that doesn't go away
A sharp pain = pain that feels like a knife
A dull pain = an ache, rather than a sharp pain
A nagging pain = pain that always seems to be there, almost as if it is reminding you, like a nag!

There are also some slang expressions:
a pain in the ass (American English) / a pain in the arse (British English) to describe someone who irritates you
a pain in the backside (British English – same as above)