Acute vs Chronic pain?
Pain presents itself when there is an uncomfortable sensation that hurts within the human body, and often suggesting something is wrong.
Each person and their pain are unique, and therefore treatment may differ dependent upon specific factors (cause, intensity, duration and aggravating factors), in which only you were the patient can determine as you known your pain better than anyone!
It is important to know that all pain is not the same and can be classified as either acute or chronic conditions, in which once this has been chosen an appropriate pain management plan can be constructed.
What is acute pain?
This form of pain is usually noticed suddenly after an injury or something specific and can usually be classified as very severe. Acute pain typically may only last a few minutes, however if the pain resides a maximum recovery time for acute pain is usually up to 6 months but is predominately seen to heal in much less time than this.
Common causes include:
- Surgery
- Fall
- Labour
- Cuts
- Broken bones
- High impact
If acute pain is not treated within an acceptable time frame, this pain may turn into a chronic condition.
What is chronic pain?
Any pain that lasts over 6 months and can be described as a long-term pain, in which the cause may be a result of an acute pain condition. People suffer from chronic pain even when the area has recovered due to the activation of the pain signals in the nervous system, lasting for a minimum of two weeks and up to many years.
Common causes include:
- Headache
- Nerve pain
- Back pain
- Tense muscles
- Limited mobility
Chronic pain does not always have an obvious physical cause and may be a result from an underlying condition.
What can CT clinic do for you?
Here at CT clinic, we specialise in pain management, providing a most effective treatment for any painful condition. We can determine if the pain is an acute or chronic presentation in which we can then combine the most effective treatment strategies into an individualised management plan.