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What Causes Bone Pain?
Why is Bone Pain Important?

Pain serves as a warning sign. It may alert patients to an acute injury or be associated with a chronic problem.

For instance, bone pain may be the first indication that cancer has spread to the bone. However, infection or arthritis can cause similar sensations. Always tell your doctor about any new pain.

Certain cancers, including breast and prostate cancer, frequently spread, or metastasize to bone. Other cancers, such as multiple myeloma involve cells of the bone marrow. When cancer invades the bone it can cause the bone to deteriorate or build up too quickly. Although the mechanism is not fully understood, it is theorized that bone pain occurs due to stretching of the tissue around the bone, which can have an inflammatory effect. It also may result from pressure on nerve roots or muscle spasms.¹

Bone pain may begin as a dull, constant ache that grows worse. It feels deep with boring or stabbing sensations. Bone pain can increase at night and may not subside when sleeping.

Metastatic bone pain is considered a somatic type of pain. Somatic pain is localized and produces an aching, stabbing or throbbing feeling. Visceral pain is another type of pain. It produces a cramping or gnawing sensation. Patients may feel visceral pain in a different area from the site of the problem.

Neuropathic pain represents another type of pain. This pain originates in the nerves. People often describe the pain as burning or stabbing. Cancer patients with spinal bone involvement may experience neuropathic pain when the cancer puts pressure on the nerve roots.

When cancer settles in the spinal vertebrae, it may cause the bones to compress or break. This often results in back pain, numbness and tingling in the arms or legs, weakness, paralysis or difficulty urinating or with bowel movements.

It is very important to report any pain to your doctor. Early treatment of bone metastasis provides faster pain relief and may prevent disabling fractures.