The Difference between Acute and Chronic Back Pain

It can be hard to know if your back pain is something that will last or just something that will go away. It is important to know whether your back pain is acute or chronic, because you want to find the best way to treat it. Some of the treatments for chronic pain might not be necessary if the pain is acute. Moreover, if the pain is chronic, some treatments might not be enough. Back pain is common – both chronic and acute pain – and can happen at anytime in your life. Here are some of the differences between acute and chronic back pain.

Typically, acute back pain lasts anywhere from a day to six months. You might start to think you have chronic back pain if it has lasted more than a couple of weeks, but you might want to wait until the six-month mark to start considering other options for treatment. Acute pain is also a type of pain that seems to last for a few days and then go away for good. If you take an ibuprofen and the pain goes away without returning, you can rest assured that you probably pulled a muscle or slept in a weird position the night before.

Chronic pain, however, is a pain that lasts longer than six months and doesn’t go away with light painkillers or other common methods to treat pain. Moreover, the pain might go away for a few weeks and then pop back up again in the same exact spot. Chronic pain is usually a result of some kind of severe injury – either by playing sports or from a car accident. In addition, chronic pain can be excruciating and seemingly unending. The pain is usually caused by a nerve being pinched or from some type of degenerative spinal disease. It is important to get diagnosed right away to make sure there is nothing too serious going on and to find options for treatment.

It is also important to alleviate long lasting acute pain before it turns into something more chronic. For instance, some acute pain might be caused by a serious knot in a muscle, but if it is not worked out, soon enough it can end up pinching a nerve and causing more damage. If you have some type of back pain that you know is acute, but you don’t want it to become chronic, it might be wise to visit a chiropractor in Friendswood Texas or anywhere else that you reside. You can also visit a massage therapist to work on the muscles and alleviate the pain.

Lastly, when it comes to treatment for acute and chronic pain, it is important to know when it is time to see a doctor or professional. With acute pain, a doctor won’t usually be able to determine whether you have anything seriously wrong and won’t know how to treat you. A doctor will usually give you a pain reliever and send you on your way. Yet, if the pain has persisted for over six months and you fear something might be wrong, you should visit a doctor, because you don’t want the back pain to be life threatening. It could be nothing, or it could be your organs underneath. It is always better to be safe than to risk your life.