Three main types of pain exist for people of all ages: acute pain, chronic pain and recurrent pain. These pain types vary in cause, longevity and intensity.

Acute pain is usually immediate and lasts for a short duration of time, usually less than two weeks. This type of pain is often caused by an injury, a short-term illness or a surgical or medical procedure. Acute pain can be treated with analgesics, including over the counter and prescription medications. It can also be eased with nonpharmacologic means such as hypnosis and acupuncture or acupressure. If acute pain is untreated, it can cause significant emotional and physical distress.

Chronic pain persists for a time period beyond three months and includes both constant pain, such as that caused by a terminal illness, and intermittent pain, such as that caused by an intestinal or stomach disorder. Chronic pain may represent an illness, but oftentimes the cause of the pain remains undiagnosed. This type of pain frequently wears the sufferer down into thinking it is normal or “just a part of life.” Chronic pain should not be a part of life.

According to Kuttner, recurrent pain is “pain that alternates with pain-free periods.” Recurrent pain includes migraines and tension headaches, back pain and many other common problems. In children, recurrent pains may include for a period of time what we label as “growing pains.” Five to ten percent of all school-aged children suffer from recurrent pains.

One pain these children occasionally complain about is headaches. The National Headache Foundation classifies this recurrent child’s pain into five categories: tension-type, vasodilation or vascular, internal traction, inflammation and neurogenic or epileptic. Your child’s tension-type headache, according to the Foundation, is “probably caused by poor posture, worry, anxiety or depression.” It is characterized by a tightening in the muscles, particularly those around the neck.