The Difference Between Chronic and Acute Pain

Chronic vs acute pain can be distinguished with the help of a pain management specialist. The brain can only know when something is wrong when the body communicates a problem. Pain is apart of the communication that goes on between the body and the brain. Pain is a natural, normal way the body expresses something wrong that can even be dangerous. Growing up you learn how to live a safer life through pain. But pain can also be defective. Acute pain is a response to a problem, while chronic pain is reoccurring.

The Cause of Acute Pain

The pain experienced for a short time is Acute pain. Which can either be neuropathic or nociceptive, but most of the time it’s the latter. Nociceptive pain is a response to harm to muscle, skin, joints and internal organ pain. Nociceptive pain is a response delivered to the brain from nociceptive cells. Those cells take harm and trauma and send it to the rest of the nervous system.

Nociceptive pain lasts for certain duration. The body has a burst of pain and then it goes away. After an injury, the pain can last while the body is healing. As you heal, the injured area is more sensitive to pain following the injury. But this still counts as acute pain, even if it lasts a couple of days or a week. Chronic pain is pain that reoccurs or remains consistent for 12 or more weeks. If you have injured nerves or malfunctioning nerves they can be either-or.

Is Reoccuring Pain Chronic?

Recurring pain can be chronic if lasts for a certain amount of time. Any pain that lasts under three months can still be from an acute injury during healing. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit a doctor or a pain specialist until after three months. When you feel distressed or feel discomfort that is extreme or major you should see a doctor.

Treating chronic pain should come until after a doctor says the pain is chronic. Pain is subjective, so there is no way to tell if a patient needs a pain killer without asking. Even though doctors use a pain scale, it’s not completely accurate. Patients will sometimes overestimate their pain, while some underreport their pain. Regardless, professionals find it critical that you have honest communication with them to learn about chronic vs acute pain.

Does Chronic Pain Dissapear?

It is hard to tell whether chronic pain can disappear on its own. Some injuries can take longer to heal than others and even if the pain lasts for months the pain subsides. Some form of chronic pain like herniated discs can last months but pass through ice and rest. Pain can be an effect of progressive disorder or disease, meaning it will get worse. Thus you need treatment to stop or slow the progress. Although you may not be able to heal your chronic pain its possible to achieve a comfortable life. Healthy lifestyle changes, strict regimen, mental health tools, loving family and an experienced doctor can improve your quality of life.