The following article provides a great discussion of chronic and acute pain.
Acute pain usually comes on suddenly and is caused by something specific. It is sharp in quality. Acute pain usually does not last longer than six months. It goes away when there is no longer an underlying cause for the pain. Causes of acute pain include:
- Surgery
- Broken bones
- Dental work
- Burns or cuts
- Labor and childbirth
After acute pain goes away, a person can go on with life as usual.
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. Chronic pain is linked to conditions including:
- Headache
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Nerve pain
- Back pain
- Fibromyalgia pain
I have written several diaries about chronic pain and read several good ones on the topic here as well.
I am just curious how many people in the world of Daily Kos, on tonight, are *currently* suffering from pain, and if so what type.
I have chronic pain in my right lower belly due to my crohns, as well as my left left between the knee and foot, for other reasons.
Right now I am in freaking a heck of a lot of pain due to kidney issues (stent is now in)...the docs went into both kidneys and broke up stones… 15 in my right kidney and 5 in my left, put a stent in each, and discharged me. When both stents were in me I could not even move without huge amounts of pain… in fact I had to go back to the ER to deal with the pain. Right now I just have one in and so I am in a lot of pain, but it is not as bad but still a 5 or 7 depending on my position, etc.
Anyway enough about my personal trials and tribulations. I am curious about you… are you in pain? And I do *not* mean pain in the head due to tRump being our president...we all feel that pain.