<s>[INST] I fell two years ago and had a lot of pain in left upper quadrant. when I lift some thing heavy the pain comes back stays for days. It hurts really bad when I sit or take a deep breath. I also pass a lot of gas and then seem to feel a little better. phyllis [/INST] Several features of pain can be helpful in clarifying what is going on and the next steps for diagnosis and treatment. Type of pain. Burning mostly means a nerve is having problems. This can be either a sick nerve or a nerve that has had an injury. Electrical, shooting would be others implying nerve source for pain. Ache and pain with movement implies muscle and pain with gas implies bowel.Location of pain. There is a lot to this. First, if something goes in the pathway of a nerve, then that is the nerve involved. Nerves are long and the pain is in a belt-like long pathway. Smaller areas are smaller nerves. This also tends to say what might  be going on. Obviously if there was an injury to the area and then there was pain outward from it "hit a nerve" would be a possibility. Sick nerves are MULTIPLE areas and tends to be the TIPS of the nerve not the whole nerveWhat hurts. Moving a particular way that triggers the pain tells what is hurting. Specifically it can distinguish outward structures like skin, muscles, tendons, joints from deep structures like organs and nerves.``     Having a diagnosis leads to choice of medicine for the pain. Inflamed outer structures respond to treating inflammation. Inner structures need diagnostic tests because something internal is broken. MRI's.And, structures that cannot be fixed need adaptations. Physical therapy, pillows, supportive structures internal and external. And graded increasing activity to get the area used to moving and getting used to the pain. BUTthis can be hazardous in some situations.For example, personally I have a break in the abdominal wall muscles. Gut can pop out of it. Straining will make it worse and make it required to get it fixed with surgery. Yeah, it fits with muscle and abdomen. I think it's the only thing that does. So, surgery would be the answer. </s>