1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Back & Neck Pain

More from About.com

Chronic Pain and Emotional Health

By Anne Asher, About.com

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

2 of 6

Nervous System Processing of Chronic Pain is Different than for Acute Pain

First, let’s distinguish between nervous system functioning in acute and chronic pain situations. For an overall image of the relationship of these 2 types of pain, you can think of acute pain as fast and chronic pain as slow. The speed of the pain is based on the speed of transmission of the communication signals from the origination site to the brain. Acute pain signals are communicated to the brain along different nerves than are chronic pain signals. Acute pain is like traveling in a souped up racecar, while chronic pain is a ride in the old clunker. Both types of nerve fibers travel on the spinothalamic tract, the main freeway for nerve fibers that communicate pain to the brain.

2 of 6

  1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Back & Neck Pain
  4. Pain Management
  5. Two Types of Pain - Acute Pain and Chronic Pain

©2008 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.