Acute vs Chronic Pain
Exercise can help both acute and chronic pain and today, Longevity Exercise Physiology Drummoyne, Edgecliff, Marrickville, Bella Vista, Randwick, Pymble, and Balmain look at the difference between acute and chronic pain and how exercise can play a role in managing pain.
Acute Pain
Acute pain typically lasts up to 3 months and can present with swelling, red, heat, and pain around the injured area. This can be an immediate bodily response to protect the injury from getting worse. This is typically managed with REST, ICE, COMPRESSION AND ELEVATION; dependent on the type of injury/disease.
Chronic Pain
As discussed in our earlier blog this week, Daniel, our Exercise Physiologist details chronic pain and some myths around it, find the link here to read more about chronic pain http://longevitypt.com.au/blog/exercise-and-chronic-pain/.
Chronic pain extends beyond a six month period even after the injury has been treated and/or healed. Chronic pain does not serve a biological purpose, however acute pain does.1 This can present as a localised or generalised pain which can vary from person to person. Chronic pain management is about teaching your body how to move with the pain.
Pain education and exercise
Pain education plays a major role in the management of chronic pain. Our bodies become overprotective overtime and send out pain signals to protect that area of the body from further injury. This is helpful in the initial stages of injury, however, beyond six months is not useful. By moving your body and doing exercise that works for you, you can retrain your body into moving with minimal pain.
‘Our bodies become overprotective overtime and send out pain signals to protect that area of the body from further injury. This is helpful in the initial stages of injury, however, beyond six months is not useful’
If you’re looking to take charge of your pain whether it’s just started or you have been suffering for a while and nothing seems to be working, the team at Longevity Exercise Physiology assist many people in incorporating exercise to help with pain. Call us on 1300 964 002 for a 15-minute consultation to discuss what exercise is right for you!
References:
- Grichnik KP, Ferrante FM. The difference between acute and chronic pain. The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, New York. 1991 May;58(3):217-220.
Written by Hannah Boardman
