Many people don’t know that acute pain can actually turn into chronic pain. This is why it’s so important to treat it before it becomes chronic. Once you have chronic pain, it affects your daily life and you’re no longer able to function normally with the pain.
While pain management is known for helping people with their chronic pain, it’s also important to know that pain management isn’t just for chronic pain—pain management clinics help acute pain too. More importantly, they can help you treat your acute pain before it turns into chronic.
The Difference Between Acute and Chronic Pain
Acute pain is usually short term and is related to an injury or a disease in the body. This means it typically has a definite cause. Acute pain can include cuts or burns, surgery, or a broken bone. Your pain management clinic can help you determine the origin of your acute pain and therefore treat it. This is a very important stage in your recovery—if acute pain isn’t treated properly and in a timely manner, it can turn into chronic pain that lasts for much longer.
Chronic pain can come from an injury that’s new or an injury that was healed some time ago. Chronic pain lasts longer than acute pain and can affect your mobility and energy as well as arthritis and back pain. This can lead to more devastating emotional effects such as depression and anxiety. There is help for your chronic pain, and it’s important to manage it so that you can live your best life.
Pain Management and Acute and Chronic Pain
Depending upon your unique individual circumstances, there may not be a specific cause of your chronic pain. This doesn’t mean that it can’t be treated, however. Whether you’re experiencing acute pain or chronic pain, pain management is here to help.
By using such techniques such as nerve blockers, physical therapy, counseling, and behavioral modification, you can overcome your acute or chronic pain. If you’re experiencing acute pain, it’s important to realize that it may not go away, especially if you aren’t getting it treated. Your best course of action to heal from acute pain is to find a pain management clinic that suits your needs. They can help your injury to heal and prevent pain from happening in the future.
If you’re suffering from chronic pain, pain management specialists are here to help. Many clinics use combination therapies so that you aren’t just relying solely on medication or injections to help you with your chronic pain. Physical therapy can help to improve your flexibility and strength. Counseling and behavioral modification can help you to deal with the emotional aspects of experiencing chronic pain as well as encourage you to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Your body works best to heal itself when you give it what it needs to heal.
Kim Gross, a PA with Center for Spine, Joint, and Neuromuscular Rehabilitation in Nashville, Tennessee, knows that dealing with—as well as treating—chronic pain can be trying for patients. “Treating acute and chronic pain can be challenging. Please keep an open mind and the willingness to try all recommended therapies as it usually takes more than one or two modalities to control the pain effectively. Communicate honestly with your healthcare provider as we are here to help you. “
While acute pain and chronic pain are not the same, it’s important to treat your acute pain so that it doesn’t turn into chronic pain. Don’t assume that just because you have a minor injury that your body will heal it over time. Pain can take months or even years to subside and can actually get worse as scar tissue sets in. Pain management clinics are here to help!