INTRODUCTION TO PAIN Flashcards
What is the most common reason for seeking medical attention?
Pain
What percentage of adults globally suffer from pain?
1 in 5 adults
How many adults are diagnosed with chronic pain each year?
1 in 10 adults
What is the expected rise in the number of people suffering from chronic pain in New Zealand by 2048?
From 770,000 to around 1.26 million people
What is nociception?
Neural process of encoding noxious stimuli
How is pain defined?
Conscious experience influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors
What is the distinction between pain and nociception?
Pain is a conscious experience, while nociception is the neural process
What does the biopsychosocial-behavioral model of pain include?
Biological, psychological, and social factors
What are the three types of pain presentations recognized clinically?
- Nociceptive * Neuropathic * Nociplastic
What characterizes nociceptive pain?
Arises from actual or threatened damage to non-neural tissue
What characterizes neuropathic pain?
Caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system
What is nociplastic pain?
Arises from altered nociception without clear evidence of actual or threatened tissue damage
What is the duration of persistent/chronic pain?
Pain that persists for approximately 3-6 months
What are some changes associated with chronic pain?
- Unhelpful psychological states * Increased sensitivity of peripheral nerve endings * Increased activation of spinal cord neurons * Altered immune response * Decreased descending modulation of nociceptive processing * Altered brain activity
What does the brain’s involvement in pain suggest?
The experience of pain is influenced by brain activity and can be misunderstood as being ‘all in the mind’
What is the impact of context on pain experience?
Context can influence the experience of any event, including pain
What is the imbalance concept of chronic pain?
Balance between pain facilitation and inhibition is important
What does the gate control theory suggest?
Pain perception can be modulated by competing sensory input
What are the dimensions involved in pain assessment?
- Pain severity * Pain interference * Pain unpleasantness * Physical function * Psychological well-being * Sleep quality
What is a case formulation approach in pain management?
Integrates multidimensional contributors of persistent pain to inform interventions
What types of treatments are included in multimodal pain management?
- Pharmacological * Non-pharmacological * Interdisciplinary approach
What are some common pharmacological treatments for pain?
- Opioids * NSAIDs * Antidepressants * Antiepileptic drugs * Cannabinoids * Local anaesthetics
What are factors influencing drug treatment of pain?
- Cultural beliefs * Personal experience * Medical history * Pain intensity * Drug-drug interactions
What are several non-pharmacological approaches to pain management?
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy * Mind-body interventions * Neuromodulation * Exercise and physical activity
True or False: Pain is a static experience.
False
Fill in the blank: Pain experiences are ______ to each individual.
unique
What can unrelieved acute pain promote?
Chronicity
What is the prevalence and societal impact of persistent pain?
Prevalent and expensive to society
What factors contribute to pain beyond biology?
Social-psychologic-biomedical-behavioral
What are cognitive factors that affect pain perception?
- Catastrophising thoughts
- Fear of pain/movement
- Poor understanding of their condition
What are some affective/emotional factors related to pain?
- Depression
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Anger
- Fear
- Frustration
What brain changes occur in persistent pain?
Changes in somatosensory, motivational-affective & pain inhibitory pathways
What type of management strategies are recommended for pain?
Multimodal, interdisciplinary management strategies
What types of management are included in pain treatment?
- Pharmacological management
- Non-pharmacological management
True or False: Only biological factors influence pain.
False
Fill in the blank: Persistent pain can be influenced by _______ factors.
[cognitive, affective, social]
What is the title of the publication by J Mathew on pain?
Introduction to Pain, © J Mathew, 2025
Name one reference that discusses chronic pain patterns in New Zealand.
Patterns of chronic pain in the New Zealand population by Dominick, C., Blyth, F., & Nicholas, M. (2011)
Who revised the IASP definition of pain?
Raja, S. N. et al. (2020)
What does central sensitization relate to in pain understanding?
The biopsychosocial approach
What is the focus of the study by Brown et al. (2021)?
Chronic pain in emerging adults
What is the purpose of the IMMPACT recommendations?
Core outcome measures for chronic pain clinical trials
What clinical implications are discussed in De Ridder et al. (2021)?
The anatomy of pain and suffering in the brain
What imbalance does chronic pain represent according to Vanneste & De Ridder (2021)?
Between pain input and pain suppression
What type of training is discussed in Mathew et al. (2022) for pain management?
Source localized infraslow neurofeedback training
What type of investigation did Mathew et al. (2024) conduct?
EEG-based cortical alterations in individuals with chronic knee pain
