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Published on: 3/5/2025

What Causes Whole Right Side Body Pain From Head to Toe?

Whole right side body pain—from head to toe—can come from problems with the nerves or spinal issues on that side, or other medical conditions that affect how pain is felt.

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Explanation

Pain that happens on your entire one side of the body is not common and can be caused by several things. One reason might be a problem with the nerves. Nerves send messages from different parts of your body to your brain. If there is damage or a nerve disorder, like peripheral neuropathy, you might feel pain on just one side. Issues along your spine, such as an injury or a pinched nerve on that side, can also make you feel pain that travels from your head down to your toe. In some cases, researchers have found that people might feel more pain on one side because of differences in how pain is processed or even due to stress and other feelings. This is why it is important to see a doctor if you experience one sided body pain. A healthcare professional can run tests, such as imaging studies or nerve tests, to figure out what is happening. Once the cause is known, there are treatments available that can help manage the pain and make you feel better.

(References)

  • Gagliese L, Schiff BB, Taylor A. Differential consequences of left- and right-sided chronic pain. Clin J Pain. 1995 Sep;11(3):201-7. PMID: 8535039.

  • Wasan AD, Anderson NK, Giddon DB. Differences in pain, psychological symptoms, and gender distribution among patients with left- vs right-sided chronic spinal pain. Pain Med. 2010 Sep;11(9):1373-80. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.00922.x. Epub 2010 Jul 27. PMID: 20667025; PMCID: PMC2972385.

  • Buonocore M. Unilateral peripheral neuropathic pain: The role of neurodiagnostic skin biopsy. World J Clin Cases. 2014 Feb 16;2(2):27-31. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v2.i2.27. PMID: 24579067; PMCID: PMC3936215.

  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559512/

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