{"id":1332,"date":"2021-10-06T09:58:35","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T09:58:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/?p=1332"},"modified":"2021-11-26T10:13:00","modified_gmt":"2021-11-26T10:13:00","slug":"acute-vs-chronic-the-difference-between-the-types-of-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/carreras-medical-center\/acute-vs-chronic-the-difference-between-the-types-of-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"Acute vs. Chronic: The Difference Between the Types of Pain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pain is a tool your body uses to tell you something is wrong. It can come on suddenly and disappear within a few weeks, or it can last for months or years. If the latter happens, you may be dealing with <\/span>chronic pain<\/span><\/a>. The first step to deciding whether you\u2019re suffering from acute vs. chronic pain is understanding their key differences. These two types of pain have different causes and are treated differently by healthcare providers, so telling them apart is crucial to finding the right treatment option.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Acute Pain?<\/b><\/h2>\n

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To know if the discomfort you\u2019re feeling is acute vs. chronic pain, you must first understand what acute pain is. Acute pain is usually sudden and sharp. It\u2019s caused by a specific injury or illness and lasts no longer than three to six months.<\/span><\/p>\n

The discomfort can be mild and last no longer than a few seconds, like when you get a papercut or hit your elbow on the table. Or, it can be intense and last weeks or months, such as when you break your leg. The pain goes away once the underlying cause is resolved.<\/span><\/p>\n

This type of pain can be caused by:<\/span><\/p>\n