Acute Pain Care.
Acute pain is defined as new pain, typically within the first 3 months of onset.
Research shows that initiating treatment and care plans during the acute phase improves long and short term prognosis. Seeking both manual therapy and active care options helps manage small aches and pains before they become bigger, more complex issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between acute and chronic pain?
This is a complex question. The simple answer is time frame, typically before the 3 month point, pain is considered acute, and after that is chronic. Pain can be subacute if it is recurring bouts of the same acute pain.
What makes chronic pain more complicated?
The longer pain occurs in our movement patterns, the more likely they become complex, and intertwined with psycho-social factors. Chronic pain is well known for the length and depth of care it can take to correct.
What modalities or services can help with acute pain?
First and foremost, education helps with acute pain. Do you need a referral for imaging? Do you need a referral for co-management? Do you need specific at home care involving ice, heat, or other modalities? Often acute patients benefit from both hands on and exercise based therapy. Laser therapy, electrical stimulation, and medical acupuncture are all also great with acute pain, and involve options that minimize further irritation of the damaged structures.
Do I need to wait until my pain is major before seeking out care?
Your an seek care at any point of your pain process. We suggest seeking care as soon as possible, but you definitely do not need to wait until your pain is severe or debilitating before seeking out advice from a professional.
Does every injury need a diagnosis?
My answer for this question is another question, do you need to know what’s going on in order to fix the problem? The answer is yes. If you do not have a full picture of why and how the injury occurred, then you cannot fully treat or prevent this issue from happening again. During the acute phase of pain, getting a clinical impression and working diagnosis of your issue is going to help you create and fully execute your plan of care.