The first line of pain treatment will vary depending on the specific condition of the patient as well as their individual needs. In most cases, an appropriate pain medication will often be recommended to help the patient manage their pain while more long-term treatments are explored to address the cause of the pain or prevent the pain from occurring again down the road. Initial treatments for chronic pain often include a combination of the recommended medication as well as physical therapy, lifestyle modifications, and in some cases, alternative therapies such as acupuncture or techniques for mindfulness. First-line treatments for acute pain will often focus more on short-term pain management while treating the cause of the pain as efficiently and safely as possible.