Pain is that unpleasant feeling you have when something hurts. Feeling these hurts and discomforts is often an indicator that something is wrong and may need to be addressed.   Pain falls into two basic categories, chronic and acute pain. Chronic pain is the kind of pain that lasts for extended periods of time. This kind of pain can be caused by arthritis, headaches, cancer, back pain, fibromyalgia, and other types of injuries or illnesses.   Acute pain happens suddenly and is caused by something specific. Acute pain is generally short-term in nature. It will go away when the underlying cause of the pain is no longer present. Acute pain is most often caused by the accidents that we have and the injuries that come with them. Other causes of acute pain can come from surgeries, broken bones, cuts or burns, dental work, falls, or childbirth. Once acute pain goes away, we can carry on with life as usual.