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Difference between chronic and acute pain
Summary:
Chronic comes from the Greek chronos, time and means lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one lasting 3 months or more, by the definition of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. In ancient Greece, the "father of medicine" Hippocrates distinguished diseases that were acute (abrupt, sharp and brief) from those that were chronic. Subacute has been used to designate the mid-ground between acute and chronic.
The terms chronic and acute pain have nothing to do with the intensity of the pain. They only describe the duration. Lifting something wrong causing you back to go out with you dropping to your knees and screaming in pain or stubbing your toe are both acute. A migraine headache causing you to cry out and beg every god that ever existed or a mild irritation in your arm both lasting many months would both be chronic pains.
Acute pain not associated with disease or severe trauma is usually relatively simple and straightforward to resolve with the help of a health care professional who is knowledgeable in treating pain. Chronic pain is often caused by factors that have lasted a long time and it will take a fair amount of time to reverse those factors and resolve the pain. Patients with chronic pain almost always have psychological problems created by the constant pain that need to be addressed. A normal person experiencing moderate or severe pain for months will become depressed. A normal person will also change his or her behavior and lifestyle to avoid pain lasting months. These psychological factors called are a very common consequence of chronic pain.
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