Pain/Nociception

Pain

Unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage

5th vital sign

Pain - can help assess BP, HR, RR, & temp (other vital signs)

Pain characteristics

Location (where)

Description (sensation)

Intensity (subjective)

Duration (how often)

Frequency (constant/intermittent)

Cutaneous pain

Localized to the skin/subcutaneous tissues

Somatic pain

Pain from muscles, bone, tendons, ligaments, fascia

Chemical pain

Pain arising from actual tissue damage. Chemicals activate & sensitize specialized receptors

Mechanical pain

Pain from stretched collagen fibers, nerve endings compression.

Tissue is excessively strained/overused

Neuropathic pain

Lesion/disease that directly affects the CNS & PNS

Visceral pain

Pain from internal organs and the heart muscle

Referred pain

Pain that’s perceived from coming from a site distant from the actual origin site

Acute pain

Essential biological sign of potential/extent of the injury

Expected to last a short time and is proportional to injury extent

Chronic pain syndrome

Pain that persists past the expected time of healing; has no recognizable endpoint & is disproportionate

Pain purpose

Withdrawal reflex, recognize tissue damage/potential tissue damage

5 pain sources

1. Cutaneous

2. Somatic

3. Visceral

4. Neuropathic

5. Referred