Pain: More than a sensory experience Flashcards
Pain definition
An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage
Always subjective
Types of pain
Somatic pain
Viceral pain
Somatic pain
Often sharp and well localised, and can often be reproduced by touching or moving the area or tissue involved
Viceral pain
Often poorly localised, and may feel like a vague deep ache, sometimes being cramping. Frequently referred pain to the back
Categories of pain
Actue pain
Persistent/chronic pain
Acute pain
A mechanism of warning to the body that it is at risk of injury or disease (includes tissue damage, pain and anxiety)
Chronic pain
A pain that continues past the normal healing time and plays no useful role in recovery
Aristotle and Hippocrates theory of pain
A: pain as an evil spirit entered the body from an injury
H: pain due to imbalance in body fluids
Descarte’s theory of pain
Pain was a disturbance that passed down along nerve fibres until the disturbance reached the brain
Gate control theory of pain
A gating mechanism exists within the dorsal horn of the spinal cord (gate closed = normal sensory input
gate open = pain experienced)
Neuromatrix theory
Pain is not just a sensation produced by injury, inflammation, or other tissue pathology but is a multidimensional experience produced by multiple influences
Pain & stress
Pain promotes stress response leading to bodily changes - increased muscle tension, fatigue, more pain
Prolonged stress reduces coping ability including ability to cope with pain
Pain, depression & fatigue
Depression and fatigue are associated with prolonged pain
Depression & fatigue make is harder to cope with pain
Measurement of pain description
Pain intensity
Pain history
Pain quality
Pain location
Non physical pain management
Edu techniques
Distraction techniques
Graded exposure techniques
Anxiety and stress reduction techniques
