Pain and its Management Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is the most compelling force underlying the choice to seek or avoid medical care?
Pain
Define pain
sensory and emotional experience of discomfort
Distinguish between acute and chronic pain
Acute - results from specific tissue injury - short duration
Chronic - begins with acute episode but doesn’t decrease with treatment - continuous or episodic
What characterizes the development of chronic pain syndrome? (4)
- moderate to severe pain intensity
- disability
- psychosocial distress
- unrelated to physical severity of original injury
What are 2 accurate predictors of subsequent pain syndrome development?
psychological variables
self-perceived disability
What are some risk factors associated with chronic pain syndrome? (6)
- anxiety and depression
- low activity
- excessive pain complaints
- disrupted daily activity
- disrupted social, marital, employment, and recreational activities
- disrupted sleep patterns
What are some verbal measures of pain? (3)
Interview
McGill Pain Questionnaire
Rating Scales
What are some psychophysiological measures of pain?
EMG (electromyograph) - electrical activity in skeletal muscles
EEG (electroencephalograph) - brain wave patterns
What is the perception of pain transmitted through? (4)
allogenic substances - chemicals released at the site of the injury to signal injury
nociceptors - carry pain messages from PNS to CNS
A-delta fibers - quick transmission - sharp pain
C-fibers - slow transmission - dull aching pain
Describe the pain pathway
pain signal –> A-delta fiber / C-fiber –> laminae –> A-beta inhibitory nerve fiber –> spinal cord –> brain
Explain the Gate Control Theory of Pain (3)
a gate (located in the spinal cord) can open to let the pain message through or it can close to reduce the pain experience
the more activity in A-delta and C-fibers, the gate opens for more pain
the more activity in the A-beta fibers, the gate closes - less pain
What are the 4 sources of info that influence pain?
cognitive - meaning of pain
emotional - e.g., anxiety
behavioural - e.g., doing exercise
physiological - impulse from site of damage
What are 4 types of pain medications?
Peripherally active analgesics - e.g., aspirin
Centrally active analgesics - bind with opiate receptors - e.g., morphine
Local analgesics - injected into site of injury
Indirectly acting drugs
What are 2 successful surgical pain relief procedures?
Synovectomy - removing inflamed membranes in arthritic joints
Spinal fusion - joins 2 or more adjacent vertebrae to treat chronic back pain
What are some psychological interventions for pain? (7)
biofeedback
relaxation techniques
hypnosis
acupuncture
cognitive and behavioural therapy
interpersonal therapy
placebo
How do placebos work?
social influence - authority of doctor
role expectation - to get better
classical and operant conditioning
cognitive influence
What is fibromyalgia? (4)
a long term condition that causes:
- pain all over the body
- increased sensitivity to pain
- extreme tiredness
- muscles stiffness
