Acute Pain and Chronic Pain

Acute Pain and Chronic Pain

Acute pain is usually indicative of tissue damage and it is characterized by momentary intense noxious sensations. It serves as an important biological signal of potential tissue and physical harm. Some anxiety may initially be precipitated, but prolonged physical and emotional distress usually is not. Indeed, anxiety if mild can be quite adaptive in that is stimulates behaviors needed for recovery such as the seeking of medical attention, rest and removal from the potentially harmful situation. As the nociception decreases, acute pain usually subsides.

Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts 6 months or longer, well past the normal healing period one would expect for its protective biological function. Arthritis, back injuries and cancer can produce chronic pain syndromes and, as the pain persists, it is often accompanied by emotional distress such as depression, anger and frustration. Such pain can also often significantly interfere with activities of daily living. Patients with chronic pain utilize health facilities often in an attempt to find some relief from the pain symptoms, and the pain has a tendency to become a preoccupation of an individual’s everyday living.