The 20 worst kinds of pain humans can experience

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. According to the NHS, there are 20 conditions that rank as “pain so disabling” that they can prevent you from performing daily tasks - and they include well-known pains such as broken bones and kidney stones to the lesser-known but still agony-causing gout or trigeminal neuralgia. Also amongst the NHS’s list of conditions that can cause the most notoriously severe pains are arthritis, appendicitis and migraines.The full list, in no particular order, is as follows: Shingles Cluster headaches Frozen shoulder Broken bones Complex regional pain syndrome Heart attack Slipped disc Sickle cell disease Arthritis Migraine Sciatica Kidney stones Appendicitis Trigeminal neuralgia Acute pancreatitis Gout Endometriosis Stomach ulcer Fibromyalgia Pain after surgery Of the conditions, Dr Gary LeRoy, a family medicine doctor in Dayton, Ohio, told The Independent: “These are all very valid pain conditions that we commonly see in the healthcare setting.” However, Dr LeRoy would argue that two other conditions make the list as well - back pain, the “most common thing that we see in primary care practices” and “toothaches.” According to Dr LeRoy: “Chronic lower back pain affects 80 per cent of the population at some point in their life because as homo sapiens who are bending, stooping, pushing and pulling, we end up with musculoskeletal back pain. Dr LeRoy has found himself “constantly aware of oral pain syndromes” after multiple patients complaining of pain in the mouth, jaw, or ears were actually found to suffer from tooth issues, such as an abscess. And for pain associated with heart attacks, “the worst headache you have ever experienced,” kidney stones, acute pancreatitis, or appendicitis, Dr LeRoy advises seeking emergency medical attention - as those types of pain can be potentially life-threatening.