Island in the road

OrthOpedics & pain

Is Your Pain Acute or Chronic? Knowing the Difference Will Help Healing

By David Wilkening

Pain comes in all shapes and sizes. No one wants to suffer it. But if you had a choice of what’s the best kind to get, you’d choose “A” for acute. That sounds bad. But it’s better than “C” for “chronic.”

So why is that, and what’s the difference, anyway? And why should you care?

The simple reason is the bottom line: Knowing your kind of pain will help you get the best treatment.

Pain is the most common complaint encountered by healthcare practitioners. Some surveys found up to 80% of physician visits were attributed to pain. It’s generally the No. 1 reason Americans access the healthcare system.

Acute Pain

Obviously, no one wants to suffer pain. But it definitely should get your attention: Something is wrong.

At its simplest, acute pain happens quickly and goes away when the cause is no longer there. Say you touch a hot plate on the stove while preparing a meal. You burn yourself. You immediately pull your hand away. That’s good. Why? Because it tells you that you have an injury.

Acute pain is the most common type of pain, associated with most general injuries or illnesses. This type of pain is most often linked to some type of trauma to the affected area, whether that is a car accident or a simple muscle strain.

Typical causes of acute pain can include surgery, dental work, broken bones, burns, and childbirth. Common acute orthopedic conditions can include fractures, dislocations, hernias, sprains, and muscle strains.

YOUR HIP.

YOUR MOVE.

Your hip, your knee, your shoulder — whatever has been holding you back, it’s time to make your move. Experts at UPMC Orthopaedic Care are pioneering minimally invasive surgeries, and we offer personalized treatment plans and same-day surgery to get you home and moving sooner.

IT’S YOUR ANKLE, YOUR ELBOW, YOUR HAND. AND NOW IT’S YOUR MOVE.

For more information or to schedule an appointment at a location near you, visit UPMC.com/YourMoveCPA.

UPMC ORTHOPAEDIC EXPERTS NEAR YOU:

Annville Carlisle Chambersburg Enola Harrisburg Lancaster Lebanon Lititz Mechanicsburg Middletown Newport