Acute/Chronic Pain

Pain is a general term used to refer to uncomfortable sensations in the body. It is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. But at the same time, it is the body’s most important communication tool.

Pain is the body’s way of intimating the brain about an injury or illness. It is meant to make us uncomfortable so that if we are injured or sick, we know that we need to do something or stop doing something immediately.

The experience of pain varies from one person to the next. It can range from annoying to debilitating. Pain can be steady, stabbing, throbbing, aching, pinching, etc. It can also be short- or long-term and can either stay in one place or spread around the body.

Pain is usually differentiated on the basis of the damage that causes it. The 5 most common types of pain are mentioned below:

Acute pain refers to pain that is relatively shorter in duration lasting from minutes to about 3-6 months. Acute pain develops over a short period of time. It is likely to occur suddenly, often as a result of a known injury, illness, or medical procedure.

Some common causes of acute pain include:

Acute pain is generally intense and short-lived. Treatment of the underlying injury usually resolves acute pain.

Acute pain is likely to trigger the body’s fight-or-flight mode, resulting in faster heartbeat and breathing.

Chronic pain is longer in duration and comes, lasts, and goes over multiple months or years. It can result from a plethora of health conditions such as arthritis, chronic migraine, fibromyalgia, or cancer.

Chronic pain can be constant (e.g. with arthritis) or intermittent (e.g. with migraines).

In some cases, chronic pain is hard to identify. Some people may experience chronic pain even in the absence of an underlying injury or illness.

Chronic pain can make a person susceptible to psychological consequences such as depression and anxiety. And at the same time, psychological distress can amplify the pain.