1 Answer

What is acute pain?

Acute pain begins suddenly and is usually sharp in quality. It serves as a warning of disease or a threat to the body. Acute pain might be caused by many events or circumstances, including:

• Surgery


• Broken bones


• Dental work


• Burns or cuts


• Labor and childbirth

Acute pain might be mild and last just a moment, or it might be severe and last for weeks or months. In most cases, acute pain does not last longer than six months, and it disappears when the underlying cause of pain has been treated or has healed. Unrelieved acute pain, however, might lead to chronic pain.

What is chronic pain?

Chronic pain persists despite the fact that the injury has healed. Pain signals remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months, or years. Physical effects include tense muscles, limited mobility, a lack of energy, and changes in appetite. Emotional effects include depression, anger, anxiety, and fear of re-injury. Such a fear might hinder a person’s ability to return to normal work or leisure activities. Common chronic pain complaints include:

• Headache


• Low back pain


• Cancer pain


• Arthritis pain


• Neurogenic pain (pain resulting from damage to nerves)


• Psychogenic pain (pain not due to past disease or injury or any visible sign of damage inside)

Chronic pain might have originated with an initial trauma/injury or infection, or there might be an ongoing cause of pain. However, some people suffer chronic pain in the absence of any past injury or evidence of body damage. 

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/Pain_Management/hic_Acute_vs_Chronic_Pain.aspx