Pain is a universally understood symptom of a health problem. Whether it’s due to an injury, a disease, or something else, pain is a way of alerting you that something is amiss in your body.
Determining when to see a family medicine provider for pain symptoms can be a little confusing. For instance, a minor ankle sprain, a bruise, and a migraine all cause temporary pain. So, do they garner a family medicine provider visit? Not necessarily. The trick to knowing when to see a family medicine provider is understanding if your pain is acute or chronic.
In many cases, acute pain can be treated at home. However, chronic pain is a clear sign that your body has an underlying issue that is going unaddressed.
Let’s take a closer look at what it means for pain to be acute or chronic.
Acute Pain
More common that chronic pain, acute pain is usually preceded by an incident. Practically every person on the planet has experienced acute pain at some point or another. Acute pain can come after stubbing your toe, an exercise injury, wearing ill-fitting shoes all evening, a stress-induced headache, or throwing out your back when picking up a heavy object. Acute pain refers to pain that is temporary. This means, the underlying cause of the pain can be addressed quickly, at which time the associated pain symptoms dissipate. Most of the time, acute pain can be treated at home or through a quick visit to a primary care provider.
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain refers to pain symptoms that are felt for longer than a few weeks. If you throw out your back while picking up a heavy object, your pain symptoms should go away within a few days. If this isn’t the case, your pain could be chronic. Another sign of chronic pain is if your pain symptoms return intermittently for more than a few weeks. An example of this is migraine headaches. A migraine headache once in a while is considered acute pain. However, if you experience migraines on a regular basis, such as several times a month, it is considered chronic pain. Another example is foot pain that develops whenever you stand or walk for long periods of time.
Chronic pain is a definite sign that you need treatment. An underlying injury or condition is causing the pain symptoms, and because the cause is going unaddressed, the pain symptoms are returning repeatedly. Monitor how you feel, and seek medical attention if you are feeling unwell for quite some time. In many cases, chronic pain tends to get worse if left untreated. As such, your pain symptoms could increase in severity and frequency if you don’t seek medical care.
Chronic Pain Treatment in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, Florida
Whether you have acute or chronic pain, seeking the advice of a medical family medicine provider is always beneficial in reducing your symptoms. At Advanced Medical, we can help you manage your pain symptoms and treat the underlying cause.
To schedule an appointment, call (561) 434-1935 or submit an appointment request.
