Pain is an unpleasant sensory experience. It is distinguished in acute or chronic, but to differentiate these two forms is not only the duration.
Sooner or later everyone happens to suffer from some pain, more or less strong, more or less lasting. And its duration is precisely one of the ways to classify it, distinguishing it into acute pain and chronic pain.
It is estimated that up to 60% of requests for help to the family doctor are due to acute pain. But chronic pain is also widespread: after the age of 65 it affects more than one in two people.
Acute pain: an alarm signal
Acute pain is sudden pain and can be considered the right response to a harmful stimulus (e.g. trauma, burn, surgery, etc.), which alerts the body.
Whatever its origin, it produces a series of defense reactions that include:
- mood changes (anxiety, fear)
- particular mimic and postural attitudes (such as the classic fetal position)
- alterations in heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and other functions of the autonomic nervous system (i.e. those that we cannot regulate voluntarily).
These responses have the important function of opposing the immediate consequences of the painful stimulus: it is as if the organism is preparing for combat or flight.
The main risk factors for the onset of acute pain are road accidents, accidents at work or within the walls of the house, acute cardiovascular diseases (for example chest pain, heart attack indicator).
The main causes are back pain, headache and renal colic.
Chronic pain: the difference is not only in duration
In the past, pain was defined as chronic when it lasted at least six months. Today the time limit has been exceeded and the term chronic is used to indicate a pain that lasts beyond the healing time of a serious illness. Pain is therefore no longer just a symptom, but can itself become a real disease, with important repercussions on the quality of life of the person.
While acute forms of pain are recognized as having only one cause, the factors that fuel chronic pain can be diverse and numerous. We are faced with a complex reality, in constant evolution.
The responses of the autonomic nervous system, which in acute pain enhance the body’s defense capacity, in chronic pain can themselves become the origin of the state of pain. The most common causes of chronic pain are back pain, osteoarthritis, headaches, peripheral neuropathy (a set of diseases involving peripheral nerves), and pain related to tumors.
The complex nature of chronic pain requires the implementation of appropriate therapeutic strategies. In Italy there is also a law, number 38 of 2010, which guarantees access to palliative care and pain therapy, regardless of illness and age.
Type of pain | Causes |
---|---|
Acute | Trauma, burns, surgery, back pain, headache, renal colic etc. |
Chronic | Back pain, osteoarthritis, headache, peripheral neuropathy, neoplasms etc. |
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.