Pain Management, Rest, Sleep & Complementary/Alternative Medicine

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering pain physiology, types of pain, sleep disorders, and complementary medicine based on the provided nursing study guide.

Gate Control Theory

The theory that transmission of pain impulses to the Central Nervous System (CNS) is regulated by a gating mechanism in the spinal cord.

Gate Closing (Pain Blocked)

Occurs when broad/large nerve fibers are stimulated by touch, massage, exercise, heat, cold, TENS units, or endogenous endorphins.

Gate Opening (Pain Transmitted)

Occurs when narrow/small nerve fibers are stimulated by tissue trauma, damage, or injury.

Pain Assessment Principle

The patient is always the expert on their own pain; pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is.

Acute Pain

Pain resulting from recent tissue injury with a short duration of $< 6$ months, triggering fight-or-flight responses like elevated BP, HR, and RR.

Chronic Pain

Persistent pain lasting $> 6$ months where the body adapts, vital signs often normalize, and the patient may experience depression or sleep disruption.

Intractable Pain

Severe, continuous pain that is resistant or unresponsive to standard analgesic therapy, such as advanced pancreatic cancer pain.

Referred Pain

Pain felt in an area distant from its organ of origin, such as right shoulder pain from cholecystitis.

Radiating Pain

Pain that originates at a focus and shoots outward to broader areas, such as sciatic pain traveling from the lower back down the leg.

Nociceptive Pain

Pain resulting from stimulation of somatic or visceral receptors; subcategories include cutaneous, deep somatic (bone/muscle), and visceral (internal organs).

Neuropathic Pain

Pain caused by nerve compression, injury, or destruction characterized by sharp, shooting, burning, or pins and needles sensations.

Phantom Limb Pain

A form of neuropathic pain perceived in an amputated limb, caused by real pain signals from severed neural pathways.

Wong-Baker FACES Scale

A pain assessment tool used for pediatric patients or those with language barriers.

TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)

A non-pharmacological adjuvant method used to close the pain gate through electrical stimulation.

NSAIDs

Non-opioid analgesics that inhibit prostaglandin synthesis to control mild-to-moderate inflammatory or somatic pain.

Adjuvant Medications for Neuropathic Pain

Specific drugs like anticonvulsants (gabapentin) and antidepressants used to treat nerve-based pain.

Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA)

A system delivering preset intravenous opioid doses on demand, where only the patient is permitted to push the administration button.

Sleep Deprivation

A state leading to slowed wound healing, suppressed immune response, decreased pain threshold, and impaired cognitive performance.

NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement)

Sleep comprising 4 stages that represents the deepest and most physically restorative sleep.

REM (Rapid Eye Movement)

A highly active brain state characterized by dreaming and mental restoration.

Sleep Requirements (Adolescents)

Individuals aged 12 to 19 years typically require $8.5$ to $9.5$ hours of sleep per night.

Sleep Requirements (Older Adults)

Individuals aged $65+$ typically require $5.5$ to $6$ hours of sleep per night, often with frequent daytime napping.

Bruxism

Involuntary grinding or clenching of teeth during sleep.

Insomnia

Chronic difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Narcolepsy

Uncontrollable, sudden daytime sleep attacks.

Sleep Apnea

Periodic cessation of breathing during sleep.

Somnambulism

The clinical term for sleepwalking.

Sundowning

Increased confusion and restlessness appearing in the late afternoon or evening in clients with dementia.

Allopathic Medicine

Traditional, conventional Western medical practice.

Complementary Therapy

Non-traditional interventions used alongside or in addition to conventional medical treatments.

Alternative Therapy

Non-traditional interventions used in place of conventional medical care.

Holism

Viewing and treating the whole person by addressing integrated physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual needs.

Chamomile

An herb used for relaxation and GI upset that may trigger allergic reactions in those with ragweed allergies.

Garlic (Supplement)

Used to lower lipid and cholesterol levels; increases bleeding risk and must be stopped before surgery.

Ginger

Used for nausea and motion sickness; requires cautious use with anticoagulants due to antiplatelet properties.

St. John’s Wort

Used for mild-to-moderate depression; carries a high risk for drug interactions and Serotonin Syndrome if combined with SSRIs.

Saw Palmetto

Used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); requires medical evaluation to rule out malignancy before use.

Peppermint (Supplement)

Used for indigestion and bloating; may exacerbate GERD by relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter.