Acute Pain vs Chronic Pain

Acute Pain vs Chronic Pain

Rochelle Harris

Psychology 150 OL3

March 5, 2015

Kimberly Cherry

Acute Pain vs Chronic Pain

Why people complain about pain and what is pain? Well, for one thing, it does not feel good. It can slowly appear or suddenly. Pain in any part of the body can be mild, moderate or severe. Pain can be acute or chronic. It can be sustained from on the job, car accident, compressed nerves, spasms or possible terminal ill conditions such as cancer. Whatever it is causing the acute/chronic pain it is costing billions of dollars each year. Patients are either going to chiropractor, pain management or simply getting surgeries. Everyone should not get the surgery so their physician need to know if he or she is a good candidate. Therefore, he or she should consider alternative and complementary medicine. More patients are choosing to see chiropractors, massage therapy or acupuncture. Alternative medicine is cost effective. In years of 1996 and 2001, spinal fusion surgical procedure cost approximately $33,000 each. (“Newsweek Examines Chronic vs Acute Pain,” 2004).

Sometimes patients result in wanting pain medication from their physician. Unfortunately, it can be addictive to some patients. They may abuse the medication or result in using illegal drugs. Pain medication can cause constipation and sedation for short term use and for chronic pain users, it can become an addiction. Another alternative for acute pain would be to use over the counter pain medication which can possibly cause liver damage such as Tylenol. Patient’s sometimes explain to the doctor about their chronic pain syndrome and how he or she needs their medication every month to control the pain.

Some facilities prescribe pain medication to a patient under a pain management contract which means that the patient can’t get pain medication from any other physician or mid-level provider. Severe chronic pain also cause depression. Patient admit...