Have you ever felt pain on some part of your body and wondered when it will go away? Generally, the answer to this question is easily found through the ability to pinpoint an exact cause of pain, and more importantly, how long this pain has been occurring. Being able to determine the difference between acute pain and chronic pain is vital in deciding the next steps to the healing process; especially when you realize that you have chronic pain rather than acute pain.
Short-Term Pain is Acute Pain
To put it simply, acute pain is merely your body’s first report to you after an immediate injury. The nerves on your skin react to the damage done by sending pain signals to your brain, notifying you that you have been hurt. Common causes of acute pain include cuts, minor burns, accidental bumps on various parts of the body, and physical collisions with someone or something.
The good thing about acute pain is that in most cases, as soon as the injury goes away, so will the pain. Little intervention is usually required for the common causes of acute pain other than some pain relief medicine or bandages because your body is capable of recovering on its own. The duration of acute pain is therefore relative to the damage received, and most commonly last for a few days or up to 12-16 weeks depending on the seriousness of the injury.
Long-Term Pain is Chronic Pain
Chronic pain, on the other hand, is a bit more complex. Unlike acute pain where you can simply attribute the cause of pain to a single incident, chronic pain is something that is developed over time. Doing long-term work with your body such as sports, working in trades and crafts, or even engaging in hobbies such as knitting and painting can cause chronic pain to whichever parts of the body these repetitive motions put a strain on the most.
Unlike acute pain, chronic pain can also be caused by environmental factors such as the changing weather, or psychological causes such as stress. Chronic pain does not need to be physical, for example, constant migraines are also considered chronic pain. There are also situations where acute injuries leave behind new issues for the patient to deal with after the initial injury has healed, transitioning the acute pain into chronic pain.
Healthcare professionals often diagnose pain as chronic as soon as at least three or more months have passed since the expected recovery time period of an injury or pain. In many cases chronic pain patients benefit from working with a team of specialized healthcare professionals to deal with multiple aspects of the pain. Ultimately, chronic pain alters the patient’s day-to-day routines, and in many cases, their quality of life.
Merely a Definition of Time
In short, the easiest way to differentiate acute pain and chronic pain is by looking at how long the pain persists. Short-term pain lasting from a few days to several weeks that add up to less than three months is considered acute pain, whereas long-term and generally incurable pain lasting more than three months is considered chronic pain.
Next Steps
The best thing you can with any injury is to treat it as soon as possible in order to prevent it from becoming chronic. With this knowledge in mind, if you have determined your pain to be chronic, the best step is to contact a healthcare professional that specializes with chronic pain recovery.