Table 1.

Comparison of Acute, Chronic, and Total Pain

	Acute pain	Chronic pain	Total pain
Conceptualization	Predominately conceptualized as corrective and positive. Usually of short duration (<6 months), often described in sensory terms. May be associated with autonomic responses.	Generally conceptualized as dysfunctional and without adaptive purpose. Usually of long duration (>6 months) or 1 month beyond the normal end of the condition causing the pain.	The sum total of suffering including physical, spiritual, psychological, and social components. It has no comforting explanation and there is no foreseeable end.
Etiologies	Usually has an identifiable cause with an immediate onset. Generally considered useful, reversible, and controllable.	May or may not have an identifiable cause, is associated with depression and withdrawal.	The product of multiple sensory and affective insults, which result in severe suffering.
Treatments	Analgesics	Analgesics, complementary medicine	Holistic approach addressing the multiplicity of issues
Descriptions	May be described in sensory terms such as sharp, stabbing, or shooting.	May be described in affective terms (sickening, hateful) and as continuous, persistent, or recurrent.	“Its all pain” (Saunders & Baines, 1984).
Examples	Childbirth, kidney stones, bone fractures	Low back pain, diabetic neuropathy	Advanced heart failure, liver disease, COPD, terminal cancer

COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.