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Is It an Acute or Chronic Injury?

Last updated: Sunday, July 23, 2017 | 3 min reading time

Dr Tan Chyn Hong

Orthopaedic Surgeon

Head to the Urgent Care Centre (UCC) to seek appropriate treatment if you experience the above symptoms.

Learn how to distinguish between an acute and chronic injury, so you can find the appropriate treatment you need.

Chronic injury

A chronic injury, or overuse injury, develops when you experience pain for more than 12 weeks. It can arise from repetitive minor strains or poor healing of a previous acute injury.

Acute injury

An acute injury occurs suddenly and is usually traumatic. Examples include a bone fracture or muscle tear.

Signs of chronic or acute injuries

Signs that you have an injury, whether chronic or acute, include:

Swelling
Limb weakness
Pain when performing an activity
Sudden severe pain may also occur
Inability to move a joint through its range of motion
Extreme tenderness in the area
Dull ache
Visible dislocation or deformity

For chronic injuries, pain tends to be at a lower level with no bruising or discolouration of skin.

When to seek medical attention

Acute injuries are generally severe, identified through some of the symptoms below:

Visible deformities such as large lumps, or limbs bent at strange angles
Popping or crunching sounds when you try to move the injured area
Inability to support any weight with the injured area
Severe swelling and pain
The joint near injured area feels unstable
Trouble breathing
Dizziness
Fever

Chronic injuries have subtle symptoms compared to acute injuries. However, seek advice from a doctor if your injury may have seemed minor but has not improved with home treatment. You should seek medical attention if there is bruising, discolouration, swelling or severe pain after the first few weeks of injury.