Somatic pain is produced by which tissues?

• A. Nerves and neurons only
• B. Skin, muscles, bones, joints, connective tissue
• C. Internal organs such as the stomach
• D. Blood vessels and lymph nodes

Answer: (B)

Somatic pain comes from tissues that make up the body’s somatic framework—skin, muscles, bones, joints, and connective tissue. These tissues are rich in nociceptors and are innervated by somatic sensory nerves, so when they’re injured or inflamed the resulting pain is typically well localized and described as sharp, aching, or throbbing in a specific area. In contrast, pain from internal organs (viscera) tends to be diffuse and poorly localized, and pain arising from nerve tissue itself would be considered neuropathic rather than somatic. Vascular structures like blood vessels and lymph nodes aren’t the primary sources of somatic pain.