Chronic refers to medical conditions or health problems that are long-term and require long term care of attention, usually at least 3 months or more. The term chronic may also refer to illnesses, diseases, or other conditions that are extremely prolonged and will not resolve on their own but will continue to be a problem for a large portion of a person's lifetime, and perhaps throughout life. This type of disease usually has a slow course and does not always cause severe symptoms, but that may cause severe problems during certain times during a "flare-up."
Chronic is the opposite of acute. Chronic musculoskeletal injuries are usually those that are related to long-term overuse and whose onset are gradual and insidious. However, acute injuries can become chronic, due to poor management of the initial injury.
This page created 07 Oct 2011 00:25
Last updated 31 Jan 2017 17:51