Understanding Pain

What time period of pain is classified chronic?

more than 3 months

True or false: 2/3 of those with severe pain also have clinical anxiety or depression

true

What is the name of the condition where one experiences no pain?

congenital analgesia

Give the traditional definition of pain:

pain is an unpleasant and emotional experience associated with actual and potential tissue damage

Give a more updated definition of pain:

pain is what the patient says it is and exists when they say it does

Give 6 common features of pain behaviour:

1) complaining

2) negative facial expressions

3) reduced behavioural repertoire

4) posture changes

5) para-vocalisation

6) rubbing/ holding/ guarding

Give 4 examples of pain rating scales:

1) pain thermometer

2) visual analogue

3) McGill pain questionnaires

4) faces pain scale

Describe the pain thermometer:

fixed point pain scale from 0-10 with 10 being the worst pain

Describe the visual pain analogue:

100mm line from no pain to worst pain with no fixed marks

Describe the McGill Pain Questionnaire:

set of detailed questions with many descriptors and increasing severities, pain location can be labelled on a blank body

Why does the face pain scale only use even numbers?

so that midpoint values can be identified if a child feels as though they are between two faces

What is the gate control theory?

the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The "gate" is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small C nerve fibres and is closed by activity in larger fibres or by information coming from the brain

Give an example of a treatment that uses gate control theory to reduce pain:

transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

True or false: there is substantial evidence to support gate control theory

false

What is phantom limb pain?

Pain felt in an area that has been amputated

What affects phantom limb pain?

changes in mood, behaviour and environment

What is believed to initially cause phantom limb pain?

a memory of pain from amputation imprinting

Describe the virtual walking study:

paraplegics were shown projections of themselves walking with actors legs everyday for 10 minutes, using their arms in time with the movement which reduced lower limb pain

What are the 3 traits of pain:

1) threshold

2) duration

3) quality

What are the 3 types of pain duration?

1) phasic

2) acute

3) chronic

What is referred pain?

pain felt in a part of the body other than its actual source

What are the 3 types of pain quality?

1) superficial

2) deep

3) referred

Describe the Clarke and Clarke study on pain tolerance between Nepalese and Western climbers:

Nepalese climbers tolerated electrical stimulation better than Western climbers

Does anaesthetic increase pain unpleasantness or pain intensity?

pain unpleasantness

Describe the results of the surgery preparation pain study:

preparing a patient for surgery using specific information and relaxation techniques resulted in less morphine being needed in days after surgery

Describe the nurse praise study's results on pain:

pain intensity experienced by a group of patients was lower when nurses praised 'well talk' than days when nurses just praised 'sick talk'

Give the 5 stage cycle of chronic disease psychological distress:

1) decreased pain tolerance

2) pain

3) anxiety

4) sleeplessness

5) irritability