Chapter 6: Pain Assessment

Question 1

Pain

Answer 1

Unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. There is NO correlation between amount of tissue damage and degree/intensity of pain.

Question 2

Pain Threshold

Answer 2

The point at which a stimulus is perceived as pain; this does not vary significantly over time.

Question 3

Pain Tolerance

Answer 3

The duration or intensity of pain a person will endure before outwardly responding. This decreases with repeated exposure to pain, fatigue, anger, boredom, and sleep deprivation. This increase after alcohol consumption, medications, hypnosis, warmth, distracting activities, and strong faith related beliefs.

Question 4

Acute Pain

Answer 4

Recent onset, tissue damage, self limiting and ends when tissue heals, may cause physiologic signs associated with pain.

Question 5

Persistent (Chronic) Pain

Answer 5

May be intermittent/continuous pain lasting more than 6 months. Clinical manifestations of chronic pain are not those of physiologic stress because PT adapts to pain, but often reports SXS of irritability/depression/withdrawal/insomnia.

Question 6

Nociceptive Pain

Answer 6

Arises from somatic structures such as bone, joint, or muscle. Results from activation of normal neural systems.

Question 7

Neuropathic Pain

Answer 7

Occurs because of abnormal processing of sensory input.

Question 8

Referred Pain

Answer 8

Pain felt in a location away from the injury (e.g. gall bladder, MI, etc). This is often visceral pain, as many abdominal organs have no pain receptors.

Question 9

Phantom Pain

Answer 9

Pain felt in an amputated extremity.

Question 10

Cognitive Factors of Pain

Answer 10

Attention given to the pain, expectation or anticipation of the pain, appraisal/expression of pain, history of pain.

Question 11

OLD CARTS (Pain Assessment Mnemonic)

Answer 11

Onset
Location
Duration

Characteristics
Aggravating factors
Related symptoms
Treatment by the PT (relieving factors)
Severity