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Acute Pain vs Chronic Pain
By Dr. Zarina Vitebsky, DPT, MSPT, PRPC, TPS, LPF, DN on 1/16/2023
Acute pain can be mild and last just a moment, or it might be severe and last for weeks or months. However, acute pain that is unrelieved can lead to chronic pain.
What is pain? 🤔
Pain occurs when something hurts, causing an uncomfortable or unpleasant feeling. The presence of pain often means that something is wrong. Each individual is the best judge of his or her own pain.
What is the difference between acute and chronic pain?
Acute pain usually comes on suddenly and is caused by something specific. It is sharp in quality. Acute pain usually does not last longer than six months. It goes away when there is no longer an underlying cause for the pain.
Causes of acute pain include:
Surgery
Broken bones
Dental work
Burns or cuts
Labor and childbirth
After acute pain goes away, a person can go on with life as usual.
Chronic pain is pain that is ongoing and usually lasts longer than six months. This type of pain can continue even after the injury or illness that caused it has healed or gone away. Pain signals remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months, or years. Some people suffer chronic pain even when there is no past injury or apparent body damage.
Chronic pain is linked to conditions including:
Headache
Arthritis
Cancer
Nerve pain
Back pain
Fibromyalgia pain
People who have chronic pain can have physical effects that are stressful on the body. These include tense muscles, limited ability to move around, a lack of energy, and appetite changes. Emotional effects of chronic pain include depression, anger, anxiety, and fear of re-injury.
Such a fear might limit a person's ability to return to their regular work or leisure activities. Pelvic Health NJ specializes in treating both types of pain and has developed specific techniques to treat chronic pain over 20+ years of treatment experience.
Read More:
The TMJ-Pelvic Floor Connection By Shannon Strauch, PTA, STMT-1 on 11/5/2024 Can your jaw pain be related to your pelvic pain? How Constipation Can Impact Pelvic Floor and Bladder Health By Dr. Christine Martirez PT, DPT on 11/5/2024 Learn about how constipation can impact your bladder, pelvic floor, & other pelvic floor symptoms
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