Types of Chronic Pain
Acute vs. Chronic Pain Acute pain can be mild and last just a moment, or it might be severe and last for weeks or months. Chronic pain is pain that is ongoing and usually lasts longer than six months.
Bone pain is an extreme tenderness or aching in one or more bones. It’s commonly linked to diseases that affect normal bone function or structure. Find out the various causes of bone pain and other symptoms that may occur that help to determine a diagnosis. We’ll also explain treatment options and prevention methods.
Breakthrough pain is a type of pain that may occur in those who experience chronic pain. A sudden, intense spike of pain can happen after a sudden movement, coughing, or other activities. Some drugs can help control it, but they bring risks of their own. Find out more about coping with breakthrough pain.
Chronic pain can interfere with your daily life, keeping you from doing things you want and need to do. It can take a toll on your self-esteem and make you feel angry, depressed, anxious, and frustrated.
Chronic pain is commonly defined as any pain which lasts more than 12 weeks. Whereas acute pain is the normal sensation which alerts us to an injury or illness, chronic pain is one that persists, often for months or even longer.
Doctors often define chronic pain as any pain that lasts for 3 to 6 months or more. Chronic pain can have real effects on your day-to-day life and your mental health. But you and your doctor can work together to treat it.
Phantom pain is pain that feels like it's coming from a body part that's no longer there. Doctors once believed this post-amputation phenomenon was a psychological problem, but experts now recognize that these real sensations originate in the spinal cord and brain.
Referred pain: Pain felt at a site other than where the cause is situated. An example is the pain from the pancreas, which is felt in the back. Pain in internal organs is often referred to sites distant from them.
Myofascial pain syndrome is a fancy way to describe muscle pain. It refers to pain and inflammation in the body's soft tissues. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles). It may involve either a single muscle or a muscle group.