Pain Flashcards
What can pain often signify?
That the body has been damaged or that something is wrong.
What are children with a congenital insensitivity of pain at risk of?
Not recognising physical damage and range of problems such as:
- Biting off parts of their own tongue.
- Prone to eye infections after damage by a foreign object.
- Suffering from broken bones/fractures.
Why is acute pain necessary?
To protect us from damage or infection
Define chronic pain
Pain persisting after an injury has healed, with pain signals remaining active for weeks, months, or even years after initial onset.
What do prolonged pains usually signify?
That the body is still damaged or healing.
What may have happened if pain persists for three months or more?
The physical damage may have been healed, however pain pathways have become over sensitised or disregulated, so that pain is felt in the absence of physical injury.
What changes have been shown to occur in neurones after three months of chronic pain?
Molecular changes in RNA in spinal cord neurones.
What implications can this have on treatment of chronic pain?
There is need to intervene early to prevent changes to the neural pathways.
What does a biological view of pain assume?
That all pain is due to physical injury.
Why is a biological explanation of pain not sufficient?
There are instances where pain occurs in the absence of physical injury
What things (besides physical injury) can cause or increase pain?
- Negative emotion
- Cognitive processes
- Behaviour such as inactivity
Studies have shown that anxiety can have what effect on pain tolerance?
Anxiety has been shown to reduce pain tolerance
What types of factors can affect pain?
- Biological
- Psychological
- Social
Define nociception
The stimulation of peripheral pain receptors, which send signals to the CNS
Define ‘sensation’ in terms of pain
How the messages to the CNS are interpreted. This can be affected by the range of factors in the multidimensional model of pain.
