Pain Management Flashcards
How is acute pain defined, and what physiological response is often associated with it?
Acute pain is defined as having a well-defined onset and is associated with arousal of the sympathetic nervous system. This often manifests as increased muscle tone.
Describe the key difference between acute and chronic pain, including the potential impacts of chronic pain.
Acute pain has a clear onset and is usually linked to a specific cause, whereas chronic pain can linger even when the underlying cause is not identifiable. Chronic pain can lead to significant changes in an individual’s personality, lifestyle, and functional ability.
Explain the main idea behind the “gate control theory” of pain and what this suggests for pain management.
The gate control theory proposes that a mechanism in the spinal cord can modulate the flow of nerve impulses to the brain. Pain management focuses on “closing the gate” to reduce pain signals.
What is meant by the term “pain behaviours”, and how might the people around someone inadvertently reinforce them?
Pain behaviours are actions that communicate to others that pain is being experienced. People may inadvertently reinforce these behaviours by reacting to moaning, grimacing, or limping, which may lead the patient to take on a “sick role.”
What is the difference between overt and covert pain behaviours? Give two examples of each type.
Overt behaviours are observable actions like guarded movement or facial grimacing, whereas covert behaviours are internal or less obvious symptoms like self-reports of pain’s intensity or duration.
According to the source material, how should an occupational therapist (OT) approach evaluating a patient’s pain?
An OT should focus evaluation on the psychosocial and environmental factors contributing to pain perception, as well as the effects of pain on functional performance. They aim to find the elements that worsen pain and decrease the patient’s abilities.
Describe at least three different pain assessment scales that are mentioned and how each one is structured.
The Simple Descriptive Pain Intensity Scale uses descriptors like “no pain” to “worst pain possible”. The Numerical Pain Scale uses numbers from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain). The Visual Analogue Scale is a line where the patient marks their pain from “no pain” to “worst pain”.
What are two types of therapeutic modalities (with contradictions) that an OT might use for pain management, and what conditions might they be appropriate for?
Heat therapy is used for subacute and chronic traumatic conditions like muscle spasms, but is contraindicated in cases of acute inflammation and cardiac failure. Cold therapy can help increase pain threshold but is contraindicated for individuals with sensitivity to cold or Raynaud’s disease.
List four areas of assessment an OT would focus on specifically when evaluating someone with low back pain.
When assessing low back pain, an OT would focus on the patient’s history of injury, their functional limitations, their posture and gait, their trunk mobility, strength, reflexes, and sensation.
What are three practical strategies that an OT might teach a patient with chronic back pain to manage their symptoms in daily life?
An OT may teach chronic back pain patients energy conservation techniques, pacing strategies to break down tasks, and proper body mechanics and postures to avoid bending back and strain.
