Which statement correctly distinguishes somatic pain from visceral pain?

• A. Visceral pain arises from internal organs (e.g., appendicitis); somatic pain arises from skin or muscles (e.g., a cut)
• B. Somatic pain arises from internal organs (e.g., appendicitis); visceral pain arises from skin (e.g., cut)
• C. Somatic pain arises from mind; visceral from nerves
• D. Somatic pain is chronic; visceral is acute

Answer: (B)

Pain origin and localization tell us the difference between somatic and visceral pain. Somatic pain comes from skin, muscles, and bones, and it’s usually well localized and sharp or throbbing—the kind of pain you can point to with a finger. Visceral pain comes from internal organs like the stomach, intestines, or bladder, and it’s usually poorly localized, often described as deep, dull, cramping, or pressure-like, and it can be felt in a different area (referred pain) because visceral and somatic nerves share pathways.

This helps explain why appendicitis pain is felt as a diffuse ache around the area in early stages and then localizes as the inflammation affects the peritoneum, whereas a cut produces a sharp, precisely located somatic pain. The statement swapping these origins—somatic from internal organs and visceral from skin—is not correct.