Acute Pain vs. Chronic Pain And Chiropractic Care in West Des Moines IA

Pain is unfortunately a part of life, from skinned knees to headaches to arthritis. The question is often, when do you consult a doctor? How much pain is enough to seek medical help? This is where it is helpful to know the difference between acute and chronic pain in West Des Moines IA.

Acute Pain in West Des Moines IA

Acute pain is "normal pain" that alerts you to an injury. It starts suddenly and usually doesn't last long. Examples of acute pain would be cutting your hand or even breaking your leg. The pain in these examples, while severe, eventually over time gets better and better until it is gone.

Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain is when the pain itself actually becomes the disease. It can last for weeks, months or even years, but is generally diagnosed after three to six months. Chronic pain can actually alter someone's nervous system, making it even more sensitive to pain. Examples of chronic pain would be conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia or even low back pain that cause you pain longer than reasonably expected.

How To Tell The Difference Between Acute Pain and Chronic Pain

Whenever acute pain persists and does not improve in the expected amount of time, it is important to seek treatment before it worsens into chronic pain. So pain that was once acute, can easily become chronic if not treated and corrected in a timely manner.

Conditions are progressive. The first time health begins to fail, there are usually no symptoms. However, if the body has been moving in an unhealthy direction too long it will begin to break down, causing symptoms to appear. Symptoms in this case would be chronic pain. If the cause of the health problem is not addressed, then the pain and other symptoms will continue to return until proper treatment is received.

People often use medication to mask the pain, but in doing this they aren't addressing the underlying cause  in the body. This is where neurologically-based chiropractic care can help address chronic pain BEFORE it becomes permanent.

Neurologically-Based Chiropractic Care For Pain

At Vero Health Center in West Des Moines IA, we STRONGLY recommend a spine and nervous system evaluation to be performed regularly to help ease your pain and prevent permanent damage to your body. Even if you are NOT in pain now, chiropractic care can help prevent your body from experiencing malfunctions and keep you on a healthy path!

If you're a new patient, click here to learn about the special offer we have right now that will help you start living the life you deserve!