Acute Pain

Acute pain is sudden and often intense, especially if it involves an injury like a broken bone. At Acute Care Orthopedics in West Hills, California, board-certified surgeons Umesh Bhagia, MD, and Nicolas Vardiabasis, DO, have extensive experience managing acute pain caused by musculoskeletal injuries. They also provide prompt treatment to reduce the cause of your pain. Call Acute Care Orthopedics today for fast pain relief, or book an appointment online. 

What is acute pain?

Acute pain is a sign that your body has suffered damage. The nerves in the injured area send pain messages to your brain to alert you to the problem so you can take action. Acute pain strikes suddenly, unlike chronic pain, which develops and persists over time.

Acute pain is usually extremely unpleasant, often distressing, and sometimes unbearable. But it’s a vital function. Without pain, you might not realize you’re injured and fail to get the treatment you need. Fear of pain also helps you avoid risks that can result in harm.

If you have acute pain, listen to your body and seek medical help to find the cause. Visit Acute Care Orthopedics for prompt diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal problems.

What injuries cause acute pain?

Musculoskeletal injuries are a common cause of acute pain. Some of the most painful include:

Fractures

Fractures are broken bones. A break where the bones stay in alignment can cause moderate acute pain. More complex breaks, like comminuted fractures (where the bone breaks into many pieces) and compound (or open) fractures (where the broken bone protrudes through the skin), can cause severe pain.

Dislocations

Dislocations are joint injuries where the bones forming the joint separate. The shoulder, a large ball-and-socket joint, is most vulnerable to dislocation. But it can happen in any joint, causing acute pain and visible abnormalities.

Sprains and strains

Sprains are ligament injuries. Strains affect tendons and muscles, soft tissues that work together to provide joint movement and stability. Overstretching the tissues can cause tears and ruptures that trigger sudden and often severe pain.

How is acute pain treated?

The experienced doctors at Acute Care Orthopedics understand how distressing acute pain is and provide fast, effective relief. Once your doctor knows what’s wrong, they recommend the most appropriate treatment to ease or manage your symptoms and reduce the pain’s cause.

Minor fractures, sprains, and strains might benefit from a splint, brace, or cast to keep the area from moving while it heals. More severe injuries can require surgery to repair the damage before your doctor applies a cast.

With dislocations, your doctor quickly and carefully returns the bones to their usual position. They might also need to treat soft tissue damage like a rotator cuff tear in the shoulder.

Call Acute Care Orthopedics now to arrange a same-day appointment for prompt acute pain treatment. You can also schedule consultations online.