All Health Topics

Acute pain

Published Aug. 13, 2018
• Reviewed by a UI Health Care Provider
on June 26, 2025

What is acute pain?

  • It is pain that is expected, normal, and often goes away a few weeks after an injury, treatment, or surgery.
  • It starts quickly.
  • It may come and go, or it may be there all the time.
  • It can impact your recovery. It can change your mood, sleep patterns, appetite (how hungry you are), or activity level.

How do you describe your pain?

  • Pain is a very personal response. You are the only person who can tell us about your pain.
  • Your health care team will ask you to describe your pain the best you can.

What should I expect?

  • Pain is best controlled when you use both medicine and non-medicine relief measures
  • It is often normal to have some pain.
    • You should still be able to do activities such as rest, eat, walk, and dress comfortably.
    • Work with your team to find what works best to control the pain you have.
  • Your health care team will teach you how and when to take pain medicine that is ordered.
    • If you have questions, make sure to ask.
  • Tell your team if your pain does not let you to do the things that are important to you or gets worse.
  • Your health care team may ask you if you drink alcohol, smoke, or use drugs, herbal, or non-prescription medicines. These may change how the pain medicines work.

For your and other people’s safety: 

  • Only take your pain medicines for the reason your health care team told you they were to be used.
  • Never take more medicine than what is ordered for you.
  • Lock up your pain medicines in your home in a lock box, tackle box with a lock, or a safe.
  • Do not put your pain medicines in the bathroom medicine cabinet, on your bedside table, in your kitchen cupboard, or on the countertop.
  • Do not share your pain medicines with others. 

Please take unused pain medicines to a medicine drop box. 

You have the right to: 

  • Information about pain and pain relief.
  • Know the benefits and risks of each treatment.
  • Be taken seriously and treated with dignity and respect.
  • Get answers to your questions.
  • Make choices and say no to treatments if you choose.
  • Be informed and know your options. 

You are responsible for: 

  • Telling your health care team if you are having pain that impacts your activity.
  • Telling your health care team if you are having pain that impacts your ability to function.
  • Asking for help if your pain is not better after treatment. This includes non-medicine treatments.