Though different, they are often treated the same (:46)
Patients need to understand how chronic pain differs from acute pain, says pain specialist Beverly Thorn, PhD.
Click the thumbnails below to watch more real stories.
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Chronic Pain Is Real
Doctors don't recognize chronic pain
( 1:05 )
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Acute vs. Chronic Pain
They need different treatment
( :46 )
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Don't Be Stoic
Tell your doctor how it really feels
( 1:52 )
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Be a Good Patient
How to get the best care
( 1:24 )
Acute pain has an identifiable cause and a cure, but chronic pain lasts beyond an injury and takes on a life of its own. “Physical treatments of that pain, like medication and surgery, don’t seem to help,” says Beverly Thorn, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Alabama, in Tuscaloosa, who works with chronic pain patients. In this video, Thorn explains how acute and chronic pain differ and why chronic pain needs a different treatment approach.
Chronic Pain Is RealDoctors don't recognize chronic pain
Acute vs. Chronic PainThey need different treatment
Don't Be StoicTell your doctor how it really feels
Be a Good PatientHow to get the best care
