Knowra Acute pain Acute pain Acute pain is pain that begins with injury or illness and generally resolves as the underlying cause heals. It serves as a warning signal of actual or potential tissue damage.
Nociception : The neural encoding of actual or potential tissue-damaging stimuli. Acute pain commonly begins when nociceptors detect harmful stimuli, though nociception and pain are distinct.
Pain assessment : The systematic evaluation of pain intensity, character, timing, and impact. Assessment helps clinicians track acute pain and judge whether treatment is working.
Chronic pain : Pain that persists or recurs for longer than the expected period of healing, often beyond three months. Unlike acute pain, chronic pain can continue after the original injury has healed.
Protective pain : Pain that motivates behaviors which limit exposure to threats or protect injured tissue. Acute pain can prompt withdrawal, rest, and other actions that reduce further injury.
Peripheral nervous system : The nerves and ganglia outside the brain and spinal cord. Peripheral sensory nerves detect many injury-related signals before they reach the spinal cord.
Nociceptor : A sensory neuron that responds to potentially damaging mechanical, thermal, or chemical stimuli. These peripheral sensors initiate many acute pain signals at the site of injury.
Local anesthesia : Reversible loss of sensation in a limited body region, usually produced by blocking nerve conduction. It can prevent or reduce acute pain during procedures and some injuries.
Neuropathic pain : Pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. Acute pain is often nociceptive, whereas neuropathic pain arises from nervous-system damage or disease.
Pain-related fear : Fear that movement or activity will cause pain or worsen injury. Fear can shape recovery when acute pain leads to avoidance beyond what healing requires.
Somatosensory system : The neural system that processes bodily sensations, including touch, temperature, position, and pain. Acute pain is an experience produced within this broader sensory system.
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