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The speaker can still feel the pain in the moment of speaking (he's asking if he's still able to go abroad with this back pain) & it's some sort of dialogue between some ordinary guy & a doctor.
Which present tense should you use when talking about continuous pain?
- I am having a pain for two days.
- I've been having a pain for two days.
- I've had a pain for two days.
I'd go with #2 present perfect continuous, but typical usage would suggest that you would say "I have been having pain" not "having a pain".
Or consider using "experiencing" instead of having which may be a stronger verb for this case:
"I have been experiencing pain..."
but present perfect continuous (use of "been") is my thinking.
This is totally unacceptable.
Also unacceptable in this sense. However,
2'. I've been having pain [in my back] for two days.
is acceptable and (especially with the 'padding') idiomatic. Note that
2''. I've been having a pain on and off for two days.
is acceptable, idiomatic, but indicates an iterative, not continuous, sensation.
is acceptable and totally idiomatic.
3'. I've had pain for two days.
sounds ultra-formal and quite old-fashioned.
