Acute pain is sharp, sudden, and short-lived discomfort. It typically lasts only a brief time. Though it may not be serious, it could point to an underlying problem in some cases.
Acute pain comes on suddenly and is often intense. Some acute pain has a known cause, such as cutting yourself or putting weight on a sprained ankle. At other times, you may experience pain without knowing what is causing it, such as a sudden sharp pain in your side.
If you experience repeated episodes of acute pain, it’s a good idea to consult a healthcare professional to find the underlying cause so that you can take the necessary steps to treat it.
Acute pain typically starts suddenly and lasts for only a short time.
The pain may feel sharp, dull, heavy, or throbbing. Its intensity can range from mild to severe.
Acute pain has several potential causes, including health conditions and injuries. Some causes may be more severe and require medical attention to address the underlying cause.
Not all acute pain requires immediate medical attention. For example, you might experience pain after stubbing your toe, but you can usually assume the pain will stop after a few minutes.
However, if you do not know the cause of your pain, you should contact a medical professional to figure out the cause and get treatment if needed.
Evelyn Huang, MD, a board certified emergency medicine physician, said, “I always tell my patients to look out for changes or new symptoms. If you are experiencing sudden new pain, you should be getting evaluated by a healthcare provider. The location of the pain helps us to determine what testing and workup is needed.”
Acute vs. chronic pain
Acute pain often lasts less than 7 days but may continue for up to 30 days. It may be recurrent, which means it may come back from time to time. And it may cause you to change some behaviors to avoid potential pain triggers.
In some cases, acute pain may transition into chronic pain, which is ongoing or recurrent pain that typically lasts 3 months or longer.
There are several potential causes of acute pain, which can range in severity from nonissues to medical emergencies.
The following are some common causes of acute pain.
Illness
Infections and long-term health conditions can cause acute pain.
For example, a urinary tract infection (UTI) or strep throat can cause localized acute pain as your body fights the infection.
If your pain comes from an infection, you’ll need treatment for the underlying cause. For example, a UTI and strep throat both typically require antibiotics to treat the bacterial infection.
Injuries
Injury or trauma often causes sudden acute pain after the accident or incident.
The causes of injuries can range in severity from minor (such as getting a paper cut or stubbing your toe) to urgent (such as falling from a ladder or getting into a car accident).
Depending on the severity of the injury, you may be able to treat it with rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). In some cases, a doctor may also recommend pain relievers, surgery, or other treatment methods.
Surgery
Surgery often causes acute pain during the recovery process.
You’ll likely feel pain near the incision and in the area the surgeon worked on.
In most cases, the pain should slowly decrease as you begin to heal. If it does not, you should let your doctor know. You may be experiencing a complication related to the surgery, such as an infection at the incision site.
Opioids
Strain and overuse
Muscle strains and overuse can lead to acute pain. Though physically active people are often prone to overuse and muscle strains, anyone can experience these injuries.
For example, you might strain your back when trying to move a piece of large furniture, or you may develop pain in your wrists and hands due to typing on a computer for long periods of time.
The RICE method often works for strains and overuse, but a healthcare professional might recommend additional treatments, such as pain relievers or assistive devices.
Nerve damage or compression
When you pinch, compress, or damage a nerve, you might experience acute pain.
Several conditions, including sciatica and carpal tunnel syndrome, can cause acute pain as a result of problems with your nerves.
Acute medical conditions
An acute medical condition or emergency can cause acute pain.
For example, a heart attack can cause acute pain in your arm or chest. And passing a kidney stone can cause acute, sharp pain in your side and back.
Inflammation
Inflammation is your body’s response to injury or illness. In some cases it can be a good thing, such as swelling around a sprain to prevent further injury.
But chronic inflammation, which may result from a condition such as arthritis or tendonitis, can cause sharp, acute pain in the affected joints and tendons.
Some types of acute pain may not need medical attention, while some require emergency medical care.
Pain in your lower back after a day of gardening, pain from an overused muscle, or a minor injury might not need anything more than at-home care.
However, if you experience severe chest pain or pain in your left arm, you should seek emergency medical attention, as it could indicate a heart attack.
You might also want to visit an urgent care facility or emergency room for a sports- or exercise-related injury.
If you’re living with a chronic health condition and you start experiencing more persistent episodes of acute pain, you might want to talk with a doctor. They may be able to recommend other methods to treat your condition.
Any time you experience acute pain with an unknown cause, particularly if it does not go away, consider seeing a doctor to get checked out.
Huang mentioned that the type of care you should seek will depend on the type and location of your pain.
“Usually, for a new change or new pain, it is better to get a faster evaluation, which typically occurs in emergency rooms,” she said. “For example, if someone is having chest pain, they should be getting a fast evaluation, which usually means going to the emergency department.”
She added, “If, for example, someone has experienced knee pain for a long time that has not changed and they have been told it is arthritis in the past, a primary care provider may be better suited to help.”
Treatment for acute pain will vary somewhat depending on the underlying cause.
For minor injuries, rest and some over-the-counter pain medications may be enough.
For acute pain related to an inflammatory condition, such as arthritis, you may need additional medications, such as steroids.
Some medical conditions, such as a heart attack, require immediate emergency treatment.
If you’re recovering from surgery, you will likely receive a prescription for stronger pain medication, such as opioids.
More severe injuries may require surgery.
It’s important to consult a doctor if you’re not sure what is causing your acute pain or if your pain becomes persistent and does not respond to medications.
Acute pain is sudden, sharp discomfort that is typically short-lived. It may be the result of injury, surgery, a chronic or acute medical condition, or other issues.
Some mild cases of pain may need only home remedies and over-the-counter medications, while more severe cases may require stronger medications, surgery, or emergency care.