Somatic pain is a type of nociceptive pain that is also referred to as skin pain, tissue pain, or muscle pain.

Unlike visceral pain (another type of nociceptive pain that arises from internal organs), the nerves that detect somatic pain are located in the skin and deep tissues.

These specialized sensory nerves, called nociceptors, pick up sensations related to temperature, vibration, and swelling in the skin, joints, and muscles — basically any painful stimuli. When they detect some kind of tissue damage, nociceptors then send impulses to the brain, which is how you feel or experience pain.

Somatic pain can be either superficial or deep.