Acute pain results from disease,
inflammation, or injury to tissues.
This type of pain generally comes on
suddenly, for example, after trauma
or surgery, and may be accompanied
by anxiety or emotional distress.
The cause of acute pain can usually
be diagnosed and treated, and the
pain is confined to a given period
of time and severity. In some
instances, it can become chronic.
Chronic pain is widely believed to
represent disease itself. It can be
made much worse by environmental and
psychological factors. Chronic pain
persists over a longer period of
time than acute pain and is
resistant to most medical
treatments. It can-and often
does-cause severe problems for
patients.
Pain warns us that something isn't
quite right, that we should take
medicine or see a doctor. At its
worst, however, pain robs us of our
productivity, our well-being, and,
for many of us suffering from
extended illness, our very lives.
Pain is a complex perception that
differs enormously among
individuals, even those who appear
to have identical injuries
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