From minor bruises to broken bones, many injuries can cause discomfort. The right pain management solution often depends on whether your symptoms are acute or chronic. Here’s more information about how the two differ to help you discuss appropriate treatments with your physician.

What Is Acute Pain?

Acute pain is sharp and happens suddenly, usually from an injury. It can develop from broken bones, cuts and lacerations, burns, and bruises. Discomfort can also happen at the treatment site after a surgical procedure, particularly if there are complications. Acute pain typically lessens as the injury or ailment heals, and rarely lasts longer than three months.

Treatment options include over-the-counter pain relievers, prescription medications, and topical creams and ointments. If you have a broken bone, treatment may involve fiberglass or plaster casting to keep the affected bone in place after it’s repositioned. By immobilizing the site, the cast prevents further injuries and related pain. Depending on the injured area, the solution might remain in place from four weeks to several months as new bone cells form.

In most cases, you can resume daily activities once the area heals without lasting consequences. However, sports injuries may prevent athletes from competing in their sports to prevent recurring pain.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain lasts more than three months and continues even after the related injuries and illnesses have healed. It’s usually linked to nerve or tissue damage. For example, unmanaged high blood glucose levels damage the nerves, so patients with diabetes can develop chronic pain, particularly in the feet and legs. Spinal cord damage may also result in ongoing back pain.

While chronic discomfort may never fully go away in many cases, effective pain management is possible with prescription drugs and physical therapies. For example, massage therapy improves blood circulation and breaks up lactic acid deposits, reducing muscle tightness and aching. Physical therapy exercises also reduce symptoms by improving strength, balance, range of motion, and posture. The stronger and more flexible the body is, the more easily it can manage pain.

A physician may also recommend healthy lifestyle changes, such as consuming a balanced diet and limiting processed fare to prevent obesity-related joint pressure and nerve damage, and exercising regularly to increase muscle strength.

To create an effective pain management plan, turn to AVORS Medical Group. Their doctors have offered various treatments to residents of Antelope Valley, CA, since 2005. They provide orthopedic care, massage therapy, and sports medicine to address a range of concerns. Call (661) 726-5005 to make an appointment, get more tips on Facebook, or learn more about their services on their website.