Pain and mito

Nerve pain, also known as neuralgia or neuropathic pain, occurs when there is nerve damage or dysfunction. Nerves are like the body's communication system, carrying messages between your brain and different parts of your body. When these nerves are damaged, they can send incorrect signals to the brain, causing pain.

This type of pain can affect any part of the body and can feel like a deep, burning, aching pain or a more localised, sharp, stabbing pain. It may also cause an unusual touch-based sensation (dysesthesia), which can be associated with tingling, prickling, and numbness. Nerve pain can range from mild to severe intensity.
There are different types of nerve pain. Peripheral neuropathy affects nearly 4 out of 5 people with mito. It relates to nerve problems in your arms and legs, which can range from no pain to severe pain.²

Reducing inflammation may help ease some of the pain. Speak with your health professional to get the best advice for your pain.

Learn more about your brain and nerves

Abdominal pain is the feeling of discomfort or pain in your belly. The belly is the area between your chest and hips. When the nerves in your stomach and intestines (your gastrointestinal tract) do not work well due to mito, symptoms can include stomach pain, bloating, and constipation.³

Abdominal pain can be aching, stabbing, burning, cramping, dull, or gnawing. It can come with other signs and symptoms, such as abdominal migraines. These are like regular migraines but without the headache. They cause severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. Although uncommon, abdominal migraines can also occur if you are prone to migraines.

A bowel pseudo-obstruction can occur in some types of mito, like MELAS. It is when the bowel becomes paralysed. It can be caused by problems with how your intestines move (motility). Signs and symptoms of reduced bowel motility include belly swelling, pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and constipation or diarrhea.⁴ The Australian Patient Care Standards for mito recommend that if you experience a pseudo-obstruction, it should be treated urgently.

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A headache is a pain in any part of your head or face. It can feel like pressure, throbbing, sharpness, or a dull pain. Headaches may occur on one or both sides of the head and can vary in location, severity, and frequency.

Migraines are a specific type of headache. They come with added symptoms, like nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. Migraines can be more intense and last longer than regular headaches.

A study from 2017 found that 70% of people with different types of mito experience headaches. Tension-type headaches were the most common, followed by migraines. Headaches are more common in people with mito compared to the general population.^5,6

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Mito often causes muscle pain called myalgia. It is a common symptom, especially for mitochondrial myopathies. A study in the Journal of Neurology found that pain is more common in mitochondrial DNA changes (67.8%). This is compared to those with nuclear DNA changes (32.2%). Yet, people with nuclear DNA changes tend to respond better to therapy.

Muscle pain in mito is often related to exercise. Soreness often occurs when lactic acid and other waste products build up in the muscles. The pain is mostly described as widespread soreness. But can also be localised and occur at rest. It can be described as tense, aching, knotted, sharp, and relentless.⁷

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Generalised non-localised pain affects a wider area of your body. It is not confined to a specific spot. Unlike localised pain, where you can pinpoint it precisely, this pain is more widespread. It does not have a clear focal point. It might feel like a dull ache, pressure, or overall discomfort. Generalised non-localised pain has been described as aching all over. It also involves heaviness and tightness in limbs. It can be worse when you move or stretch. It may also travel to other parts of your body.⁸