Acute Pain Vs Chronic Pain

Even though pain seems like such an easy thing to explain, it’s actually quite a complex phenomenon because of how abstract it is; as it differs significantly between each individual. In the simple terms, pain is an unpleasant sensation which can range from mild discomfort all the way to unbearable agony. Whilst many instantly think of pain as being mostly physically, there is also an emotional aspect. The source of physical pain comes about from nerve stimulation, along with various injuries and diseases, whilst emotional tends to stem from mental issues. The origin of the word ‘pain’ comes from its Latin root ‘poena’, which means penalty. There are three major types of pain; acute, chronic and referred. Acute pain comes off as …show more content…
Some people feel chronic pain even without sustaining any sort of injury. The duration of this pain lasts anywhere from a few months all the way to a few years if left unattended to. Chronic pain has many descriptions; shooting, burning, electric are just a few of them, and with those feelings, fatigue, soreness and tightness usually follows and makes the person suffer even more. Unlike acute pain which can be treated with medication, chronic pain can at times just be controlled with various methods but it may never be fully cured. Carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, migraines and cancer are just some examples of chronic pain.
The third and final pain category is referred pain. It is a pain which appears on a site of the body that isn’t the main source of the problem. Usually, visceral organs are the ones that are affected but the pain signals travel along the same pathway as other parts of the body, so it causes the pain to appear on another area. One of the most common types of referred pain stems from the kidneys. If a person has kidney stones or an infection, the referred pain appears in the lower back and groin area. Another example is having referred shoulder pain that comes directly from the