Managing Your Acute (Short-Term) Pain
Care instructions for teens
Everyone experiences pain at some point in their lives. Sometimes, it’s because of medical procedures or surgery but often it’s from falls and injuries. Untreated pain can have both short and long-term effects, including slower healing and developing fears and phobias about needles and healthcare.
Acute pain is short-term pain that starts quickly. How long the pain lasts will depend on the type of injury or procedure. Sometimes acute pain is caused by an injury, such as a cut or broken bone, or an illness, such as a sore throat or an ear infection.
Acute pain can also happen when you have a medical procedure or test, such as getting a vaccine, having blood taken, or getting stitches. It can also happen after surgery.
You can learn more about acute pain here.
Pain after injury or Surgery
Pain is part of the normal healing process after injury or surgery; the first few days after an injury are usually the worst and then the pain should get better a little more each day. After a broken bone or sprain the pain is almost completely gone after one week. After surgery the time it takes to have no pain will depend on the type of surgery.
Pain is part of the normal healing process after injury and can protect you from over-using or further hurting an injured part of your body.
Managing your acute pain
When your pain is managed well, getting back to your usual activities (like school and sports) will be easier. It’s normal to have some pain after an injury or surgery has happened, even when you use medicine. It’s important to know if you can handle your pain and can still move around or if it’s too much and you need more help to feel better.
Being able to manage your pain means that you can:
- move well, get up and walk around
- sleep without being woken by pain
- take part in some of your regular activities
- take part in special recovery activities (physiotherapy)
How can I manage my acute pain?
There are 3 different ways (3Ps) that acute pain is usually managed:
- Physically using ways to help your body.
- Psychologically using ways to help your mind.
- Pharmacologically using medicines.
The best way to help with acute pain is choosing more than one way at the same time.
Physical ways to help with pain
Temperature: Use an ice or heat pack on the area that is painful. Test the temperature on an area of skin that is not in pain to make sure that it’s not too hot or too cold as this might cause more injury or pain. Put a thin cloth between the hot or cold pack and the skin. Do not leave a hot or cold pack in place longer than 10-20 minutes at a time.
Change positions: Sometimes it’s helpful to change positions to help settle your pain; this could be simply turning onto your other side or sitting up more.
Splint: Sometimes, a sling or support sleeve can help a sore body part feel less painful after an injury or surgery.
Psychological ways to help with pain
- Distraction: a way to relieve pain by focusing your mind on something other than the pain itself. You can try watching a movie, listening to music, reading a book, talking with a friend, singing or praying, doing puzzles, crafts or hobbies. Mind exercises such as counting down from 100 or focusing on objects around you can also help.
- Relaxation: a way to relieve pain by working to relax your body from holding tension. Some ideas would be things like 5-finger breathing or deep belly breathing, guided imagery or progressive muscle relaxation.
- Memory re-focus: a way to relieve pain by focusing the brain on positive experiences linked to pain-free emotions and memories; thinking or talking about a favourite holiday, a favourite friend, something you like to do or that makes you happy.
Pharmacy – using medicines to help with pain
Medicines without a prescription: Over-the-counter medicines are medicines you can buy without a doctor’s prescription. They can be very helpful in managing acute pain for a short time while also helping with fever, swelling, and general aches.
Prescription medicine: It’s important to take the medicine your team told you to use and follow the directions that came with them.
Non-opioid pain medicines
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a medicine that’s safe for teens. These medicines are not habit forming and work to reduce your pain and fever.
Do not use these if you are allergic or have a sensitivity to this medicine.
Common side effects:
- nausea or vomiting
- tummy pain
- diarrhea or constipation
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), or ketorolac (Toradol) are not habit forming, do not contain steroids, and help to lower swelling, inflammation, and pain. Ibuprofen is the best choice for pain caused by sprains, strains, and broken bones.
Do not use these if you are allergic or have sensitivity to this medicine.
Do not take more than one NSAID at a time - choose only one from the list provided. If you have, or think you might have, a medical condition that makes NSAIDs unsafe, speak with your pharmacist to talk about what to use.
Common side effect:
Opioid medications
Acute pain after injury is common but not treating it can sometimes lead to chronic pain (pain that lasts for a long time). Your medical team may decide that your pain can be helped by taking opioid medicine to heal from your injury or surgery. Learn more about using opioids.
Opioids may be used to help reduce your moderate to severe pain but may not take it away completely. It’s important to remember the other “P’s” to use along with medicine. Opioids are usually used for less than a week after an injury/procedure at the lowest dose possible.
If the opioid medicine already contains acetaminophen (combination medicine like Percocet), don't take another dose of acetaminophen.
Common side effects may include:
- nausea or vomiting
- headache
- dizziness
- drowsiness
- itchiness
- constipation
If you are bothered by nausea talk to your pharmacist. An over the counter (Gravol) or prescribed anti-vomiting medicine (Zofran) might help with nausea or vomiting. Constipation (not able to have a bowel movement) can get better by drinking lots of water and moving around (walking), if possible. Otherwise talk to your pharmacist as over the counter medicines like Restoralax or Lax-A-Day can help treat constipation.
Serious side effects: If you have difficulty breathing get medical help right away. If you have slow or shallow breaths, call 911.
Learn about care instructions for how to use, store and dispose of opioids.
Tips for taking opioids safely:
- Lower your risk of creating a habit (addiction) by taking opioid pain medicine only when you need it.
- Never take more medicine than is prescribed.
- Do not drink alcohol while you’re taking NSAIDs or opioids.
- Driving - Do not drive while taking your prescription opioid pain medicine. Talk to your doctor about when it’s safe to drive again.
Should I worry about becoming addicted to opioids?
The risk for becoming addicted to opioids is higher if you use opioids for something other than pain, like anxiety, sleep, fear of pain, or to feel good. Using more opioids than you need, longer than you need, or for reasons other than pain can create harmful habits or substance use problems. If you are worried about addiction (opioid use disorder), talk to your doctor before taking prescribed opioid medicines. They can help you figure out safer ways to use it.
To see this information online and learn more, visit MyHealth.Alberta.ca/health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=custom.ab_pain_acute_management_teen_inst.
For 24/7 nurse advice and general health information call Health Link at 811.
Current as of: November 04, 2025
Author: Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP), Alberta Health Services
This material is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. This material is intended for general information only and is provided on an "as is", "where is" basis. Although reasonable efforts were made to confirm the accuracy of the information, Alberta Health Services does not make any representation or warranty, express, implied or statutory, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, applicability or fitness for a particular purpose of such information. Alberta Health Services expressly disclaims all liability for the use of these materials, and for any claims, actions, demands or suits arising from such use.
