Ask anyone living with chronic pain, and they’ll likely tell you how debilitating it is. Many people experiencing chronic pain can no longer do the things they love and find everyday tasks a major drain on their energy levels, like exercising, cooking, driving, and working. Such is the impact on physical, mental, and social well-being that it’s not uncommon for chronic pain to result in sleep deprivation, social isolation, and severe mental health challenges.
Knowing this, you may be eager to stop your acute pain from becoming chronic and life-changing. While many people struggle to alleviate their acute pain, it may be possible in the following ways:
Treat the Source of the Pain Early
The difference of chronic and acute pain is that acute pain is often a short, sudden sensation caused by a specific event. It typically resolves within days or weeks if you take appropriate action. That’s why treating the source of the pain early is so crucial. It’s the failure to do so that can often mean that short-term acute pain becomes long-term chronic pain.
As soon as you experience any pain, visit a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis, especially if the pain is severe, unusual, or not getting better. Once you have a diagnosis and treatment recommendations, follow them! You should also not ignore any persistent pain that’s stopping you from living life to the fullest.
Keep Moving
Some people can be so fearful of making their injury or pain worse that they stop moving. While some rest is important, complete rest can often slow down your recovery and increase stiffness. Always follow your healthcare professional’s recommendations for movement and exercises. Depending on your injury or pain, you may be encouraged to gradually return to normal activities to restore your strength and confidence.
Don’t Just Rely On Medication
You’re in pain, so you pop a painkiller. Your discomfort resolves, so you continue with your regular activities until it returns. You take another painkiller and repeat the process. While pain medication can be useful, it’s not a long-term fix. It makes the pain manageable, rather than resolving it. Instead, explore different management approaches that may make you less reliant on pain medications:
While you might experience relief from one of these options alone, a multimodal approach is often recommended.
Protect Your Sleep
If you’re particularly sensitive to pain, consider whether your current sleeping patterns may be to blame. According to a 2019 study in The Journal of Neuroscience, poor sleep disrupts pain-processing centers in the brain and alters how you perceive and respond to discomfort. Essentially, this means that the less sleep you get, the more sensitive you are to pain. Work on your sleep hygiene to potentially improve your pain situation. Some worthwhile changes can include:
While short-term acute pain often only lasts days or weeks before feeling better, that’s not everyone’s experience. Some people’s acute pain turns into long-term chronic pain. However, you may be able to reduce the risk by taking care of your health, seeking professional help, and adopting a multimodal approach to pain management.
