Suffering from Acute or Chronic Extremity Pain?

It is no secret that an injury or chronic condition related to your extremities can have a burdensome, lingering effect on your body. Residents of San Antonio who lead an active lifestyle or are experiencing the physical effects of aging risk injury and discomfort from wear and tear, which can severely limit someone’s range of motion and affect their daily life.

Chronic vs. Acute Pain

If you are suffering from acute or chronic extremity pain, the first thing to understand is that there are two broad pain classifications: chronic and acute. Chronic pain typically lasts anywhere from three months to many years. Acute pain is usually associated with an injury and often goes away after a shorter period of healing and rehabilitation. Extremity pain can further be categorized by what region of the body it affects.

Upper Extremity Pain

A countless array of factors can cause pain in your upper extremities. Your arms, hands, shoulders, and wrists are the most frequent sites of pain and injury in your upper extremities. Pain in this part of the body is easy to come by. For example, if you sit at a desk and type at a computer all day, you may experience the discomfort of carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects your wrists and hands. Common types of chronic upper extremity pain include:

• Aging
• Wear and tear
• Overuse

Discomfort in your shoulder and arms can also limit your range of motion. If you play sports or lift weights, for instance, you may put yourself at increased risk of muscle pain in the form of tendonitis or muscle strains, as well as types of arm pain including bursitis, injured rotator cuffs, and muscle spasms.

Lower Extremity Pain

Your lower extremities include your legs, ankles, and knees—all of which are crucial to your body’s ability to walk, run, stand, and move with ease. The same causes of upper extremity pain (overuse, wear and tear, and aging) can generate discomfort in your lower extremities as well. Common lower extremity conditions include:

• Shin splints
• Muscle strains
• Iliotibial band syndrome (connective tissue damage)

Knee and joint discomfort, leg pain, and foot pain can make even a simple trip down the stairs an aggravating activity that can disrupt your daily routine and limit your body’s ability to function well. Several factors can cause discomfort, including:

• Intense physical activity
• Lack of use
• Periods of prolonged standing
• Injury (sprain, strain, etc.)

Treating Acute and Chronic Extremity Pain

Anyone suffering from acute or chronic extremity pain knows what it feels like to have pain limit your quality of life. As soon as you become aware of your injury, try a variety of acute pain management techniques until you find the right one for your situation. This step will help ensure that your pain does not become chronic.

Alleviating chronic pain is an ongoing process that requires you to keep an open mind about the ever-growing variety of treatment techniques for pain management. You can try to mitigate the effects of fatigue, cramping, and overuse on your own with a combination of rest, elevation, and compression shorts or stockings. However, if your pain is severe enough, medical treatment is probably the best way to get rid of your pain for good. Thankfully, help is here.

Texas Pain Specialists Are Here for You

If you are one of the countless Texans suffering from acute or chronic extremity pain, it might be time to consult with a medical professional. The sooner you address your pain, the sooner you will regain control of your body and your life.

As Texas pain specialists, we understand that sometimes over-the-counter medication and at-home remedies do not get the job done. Fortunately, Dr. Raul Martinez and his team of nurses and practitioners in San Antonio offer a wide array of treatment alternatives for both acute and chronic pain management, including groundbreaking customizable treatment techniques and injection types.

Don’t let your pain go untreated. Contact Dr. Raul Martinez and his Texas pain specialists today. You can reach us online here, or stop by any of our three locations across San Antonio today.