Chronic & Acute Pain

Pain may be sharp or dull, intermittent or constant, or throbbing or steady. Sometimes pain is very difficult to describe: the intensity of pain can vary from mild to intolerable, and people differ remarkably in their ability to tolerate pain.

Acute pain can be mild and last just a moment, or it might be severe and last for weeks or months. It goes away when there is no longer an underlying cause for the pain. After acute pain goes away, a person can go on with life as usual. In some cases, acute pain can also become chronic, even when your injury has healed.

Chronic pain is pain that is ongoing and usually lasts longer than six months. This type of pain can continue even after the injury or illness that caused it has healed or gone away. Pain signals remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months, or years. Some people suffer chronic pain even when there is no past injury or apparent body damage.

People who have chronic pain can have physical effects that are stressful on the body. These include tense muscles, limited ability to move around, a lack of energy, and appetite changes. Emotional effects of chronic pain include depression, anger, anxiety, and fear of re-injury. Such a fear might limit a person's ability to return to their regular work or leisure activities.

Acupuncture is effective for both acute and chronic conditions and is also a preventative medicine.