WHY MUST CHRONIC MANAGEMENT DIFFER FROM ACUTE MANAGEMENT WHEN PAIN FEELS THE SAME?
This is a good question and there are no quick answers. The following is a simplification: Acute Pain Hurt equals Harm (This is a true message) Hurt equals warning signal to rest Pain is a guide to healing Chronic Pain Hurt doesn’t mean harm False message about what is going on Rest is worst thing to do Pain regulatory mechanisms are generally assumed to be “abnormal”. I believe there are solid physiological reasons why chronic pain management needs to differ from acute pain management. These physiological reasons stem from normal — as well as sometimes unhealthy — adaptive processes. This concept of adaptation is helpful to look at in answering the above question. Here an example might be helpful: If a person starts to smoke on a regular basis their body adapts to the nicotine and the smoking. Even though smoking isn’t necessary and can be considered harmful to one’s health, the body’s systems eventually adapt to the point where the individual has difficulty in stopping. Many cases
