Do you have acute or chronic pain?
Identify the cause early so they don’t develop into chronic pain
From a light pain sensation to chronic headaches, backaches, migraines, and unrelenting aches – you have now gone from acute pain to chronic pain. How does it all happen?
According to Continuing Education in Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain, what is important to remember is “identify symptoms and causes early on so they don’t develop into chronic pain.
Pain is commonly classified into acute and chronic. Acute pain implies a painful condition with a rapid onset or of a short course whereas chronic pain is referred to as a painful condition persisting beyond the normal time of healing. Transition of acute pain to chronic pain is an observed entity associated with enormous burden on the healthcare system. Minimization of this transition has been a challenge for decades. Numerous studies have investigated different factors that increase susceptibility in transition of acute to chronic pain. This article focuses on the basic science and pathophysiological changes during pain processing and clinical modalities aiming to minimize the risk of transition from acute to chronic pain.
Pain physiology involves complex immune, sensory, hormonal and inflammatory processes in the periphery, spinal cord, and brain. Repetitive nociceptive stimulation induces pathophysiological changes in the pain pathways leading to peripheral or central sensitization; hence, resulting in chronic pain in susceptible patients. Although evidence is limited, identifying risk factors and early multimodal approach and biopsychosocial assessment are reasonable steps to reduce the risk of developing chronic pain.
There is a “wind-up phenomenon” that causes untreated pain to get worse. Nerve fibers transmitting the painful impulses to the brain become “trained” to deliver pain signals better. Just like muscles become stronger for sports with training, the nerves become more effective at sending pain signals to the brain. The intensity of the signals increases over and above what is needed to get the affected person’s attention. To make matters even worse, the brain becomes more sensitive to the pain. So the pain feels much worse even though the injury or illness is not worsening.
At this point, pain may be termed chronic pain. Essentially, while acute pain may describe sharp temporary pains, like a bump on the head or a pinch, chronic pain is categorized as pain that lasts much longer, often 6 months to a year! And it is no longer helpful as a signal of illness.
Don’t let your chronic pain ruin your quality of life. Get help asap in any onset of pain or better yet, start getting regular preventative natural healthcare to avoid pain from happening all together. Ask about Quantum Neurology, Lite Cure Therapy, Nutritional Support, IDD Therapy and more to get started on a path to health & wellness!