Patient Rights Navigating Your Diagnosis Acute and Subacute Pain Differences By Trisha Torrey Trisha Torrey Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Trisha Torrey is a patient empowerment and advocacy consultant. She has written several books about patient advocacy and how to best navigate the healthcare system. Learn about our editorial process Updated on November 18, 2020 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Michael Menna, DO Medically reviewed by Michael Menna, DO Michael Menna, DO, is board-certified in emergency medicine. He is an attending emergency medicine physician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York and also works at an urgent care center and a telemedicine company that provides care to patients across the country. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Fact checked Verywell Health content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by James Lacy Fact checked by James Lacy LinkedIn James Lacy, MLS, is a fact-checker and researcher. James received a Master of Library Science degree from Dominican University. Learn about our editorial process Print Acute pain refers to any specific, sharp pain that is of rapid onset or pain that results from a specific traumatic incident such as an injury to a specific part of the body, or an illness. Acute pain tends to be very isolated. Such pain comes on quickly but often has a limited overall duration. An acute injury is usually the result of a specific impact or traumatic event that occurs in one specific area of the body, such as a muscle, bone, or joint. Science Photo Library / Getty Images Medical providers use the term "acute" to describe symptoms, a disease or a condition in one of three various ways. This term is used to describe a medical condition when the problem comes on quickly, if it lasts only a short period of time, or both. Patients often think the word acute means severe, but professionals do not use the term in that way. Examples are acute leukemia or acute appendicitis, both of which seem to develop quickly, and acute respiratory illness which may last only a short time. Acute Pain Treatment Acute pain from an injury issue typically requires immediate medical attention, including first aid treatment. R.I.C.E. A common acronym for acute injury treatment is RICE, which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Rest: Getting proper rest is an extremely important aspect of injury recovery, regardless of if the injury occurred to a muscle, tendon, ligament, or bone. Once injured, the further activity that stresses the injured area must be stopped until the injury is allowed to recover over a period of time. Recovery time varies based on the particular injury, but the need for rest following an injury is universal. Be sure to give your body plenty of time to recover following any injury issues. Ice: Ice is a very effective tool for acute injuries. Cold contact provides short-term pain relief to an injured area, and also works to limit swelling by reducing the overall amount of blood flow to the injured area of the body. When applying ice to an injured area, do not apply the ice directly to the skin or body. Instead, wrap the ice in a towel or paper towel before applying. It is suggested that ice is applied to an injured area for 15-20 minutes after an injury occurs, but no longer. Compression: Compression is also important for post-acute injury treatment. Compression helps to reduce and limit overall swelling. Compression also occasionally works to ease the pain. Wrapping an injured area in a bandage is a good way to provide consistent compression to an injured area. Elevation: Elevating an injured area after an injury occurs can also help to control overall swelling. Elevating is most effective when the injured area of the body is raised above heart level. This helps to control blood flow to the area, and thus reduce swelling. Chronic Pain The opposite of acute pain is chronic pain. Chronic pain refers to any sort of physical injury, illness, or disease that develops in a slow manner, and rather than being short-lived and finite, is persistent and long-lasting, or constantly recurring over time. Subacute The term "subacute" refers to a medical problem that is not exactly acute or chronic, but rather somewhere in between. 3 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. King W. Acute pain, subacute pain and chronic pain. Encyclopedia of Pain. 35-36. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_75 van den Bekerom MP, Struijs PA, Blankevoort L, Welling L, van Dijk CN, Kerkhoffs GM. What is the evidence for rest, ice, compression, and elevation therapy in the treatment of ankle sprains in adults?. J Athl Train. 2012;47(4):435–443. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-47.4.14 Treede RD, Rief W, Barke A. A classification of chronic pain for ICD-11. Pain. 2015;156(6):1003–1007. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000160 By Trisha Torrey Trisha Torrey is a patient empowerment and advocacy consultant. She has written several books about patient advocacy and how to best navigate the healthcare system. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit