Chronic Vs. Acute Pain: Dissimilarity Explained

Pain is a sign your body is giving indicating that there is something wrong. Sometimes, pain appears suddenly and quickly without any indication, that you can think about. Pains that occur and last for less than six months are known as acute pain. It mostly happens because of some small reasons that can be treated easily.

On the contrary chronic pain can last for a long time and can continue to appear even after the injury is healed. The best way to heal from such pain is to contact pain management doctors in Oklahoma City. It is important to know what type of pain you are experiencing so that the doctors can treat you more efficiently.

The Difference Can Be Measured In Brain Activation

It is known that the main thing that makes acute and chronic pain different is the duration. The length of time the patient has been experiencing the pain can tell you the type of pain. If it’s acute pain, it will be anywhere between three to six months.

However, if the patient is experiencing chronic pain, it lasts more than six months. If the pain stays between these two definitions, it can be called subacute pain. Pain management doctors can explain how you can figure out the type of pain you are experiencing.

Many new studies have been done regarding these two types and pain, and it was seen that pain tends to follow different laws of nature. You will see that both types of pain respond differently to medication and other pain interventions. Some studies show that entirely different brain regions light up for both pains. In acute pain, the processing sensory information region light up, while in chronic pain emotional learning and reward region lights up.

Reasons For Chronic Pain

Pain management doctors claim that there are cases where patients have crossed from acute pain to chronic pain stage. Several factors feed into the cycle, and it can also help the brain speed up the process. It can happen because of biochemical factors like inflammatory mediators and stress hormones.

Once the acute pain reaches the chronic pain stage, all these biochemical factors fuel the fire. You can encounter stress in the form of emotion, or it can come as physical stress to the body. This leads to the formation of the sympathetic nervous system, which can increase the chronic pain cycle. The patient’s pain might increase because of sensory and emotional phenomena and has to be treated immediately.

Schedule Your Appointment Today

If you are suffering any of these types of pain, you should contact Oklahoma Pain Treatment Centre. They have the best doctors on their team, who comprehensively evaluate the patient and then suggest a treatment plan. Call to schedule an appointment today.

**Disclaimer: These tips are not advised or suggested by doctors. The products that are promoted here are not FDA-CERTIFIED to treat, cure or prevent any disease.