Do you know that your back can ache in two ways: acute or chronic? Although each is a painful experience but nature, causes, intensity and remedies for both are diverse. As the name suggests, acute pain will occur suddenly with an intense pain which usually lasts only a short period of time and is normally an outcome of some external or internal injury. Chronic pain, on the other hand, is a constant long-term pain, sometimes lasting a life time. However, chronic pain may also include episodes of acute pain.

Acute back pain

Acute pain is a pain that is easily understandable. It is usually short-lived and occurs for a good purpose: signaling that something is wrong. An injury, such as a strained back muscle is usually the cause of this kind of a pain. People with acute pain avoid further movement, which can actually make the injury worse.
However, the good thing about acute pain is that a doctor can identify the source of the pain and can prescribe a cure. No doubt, acute pain catches you unprepared but you can certainly come out of it by taking the required steps.

Remember your first two days of acute pain are very important. Keep in mind these pointers:

• Long-term bed rest usually does more harm than good. Two or three days of bed rest at most is enough, and you should try to move gently even during that time.
• Don't remain totally still. In fact, it is a good idea to walk around for a few minutes once every hour. Crawl to the bathroom, if you can.
• Attempt simple stretching exercises.
• Twisting and reaching for things may strain your back more. Get out of the bed as safely as possible.
• Lie on your back with your knees bent. Bring your knees up towards the direction of your head and place a pillow between your knees and chest, ensuring that you keep your body firm roll to one side.
• Learn how to get off the bed. Roll onto your side. Using the hands for support, prop onto your shoulders. Get your feet off the bed first, then push the torso to an upright position.

Chronic back pain

Chronic pain is very different from acute pain. It continues for a longer period of time, may be for months or even years and the source and reason are not easy to find. Sometimes an acute pain changes into a chronic pain, even after the healing of the injury. Why this happens is not easy to define and even modern medicine with all its findings may not have any proper answer.

Moreover, it may also happen that there never was an injury in the first place and anxiety or stress was the source of the pain. In such a case, the pain is psychological, what scientists' refer to as 'psychogenic'. This kind of pain is produced inside the brain. But psychogenic pain is as real as the pain that comes from an injured organ. It is believed that the stress that tightens the muscles of the lower back can be just as painful as a tumor in the spine.

Chronic pain can change your life. While acute pain can get you down and make you cry out for relief, it usually does not leave any permanent marks once healed. However, a person battling with chronic pain day after day and year after year may loose grip on life because of fear and anxiety. The result can be depression, which in turn results in more pain. Chronic pain often creates this vicious cycle.

Interestingly, chronic pain is also dependent on the patient's state of mind. For example, if a person has a minor back injury, which stops him from working because his job involves lifting objects, he may start to feel useless. Eventually, as if to justify this inactive state, the brain actually increases the pain. The result being that a minor injury ends up causing far more pain than it ought to. It is also true, however, that if the situation changes - the man finds a job that requires no lifting, the pain will often decrease.

This pain game is full of amazing things. Even your cultural heritage and your past experience with pain and how much you like your job all play a role. So do stress and personality. If you're the type of person who generally feels that you are in control of your life you will in all likelihood suffer less than someone who feels powerless. Remember, no medicine or therapy can help you if you yourself are not interested in seriously getting rid of your pains - psychological or physical. Isn't this principle true for all matters of life?