behaviour 5 - Understanding pain in the context of the health triad

Physical health aspects of acute pain

Accidental, surgical

Physical health aspects of chronic pain

Orthopaedic, ear, oral, visceral, skin, neuropathic

Cognitive health aspects of pain (classical conditioning)

Pain inducing stimulus + context (location) → pain

Cognitive health aspects of pain (operant conditioning)

Inc/dec probability of behaviours occurring again

Significance of valence of emotional pain

Pain = protective emotion related to fear anxiety system

Behavioural change as result of emotional effects of pain

Effect of inc protective emotional input (acute/chronic pain) affected by what aspects of emotional health

Emotional capacity, other emotional input, emotional drainage

How does high emotional input + restriction on drainage affect noticability of protective emotional impact

Inc potential for protective emotional impact of pain to have noticeable effects → variation in reported pain

Sleep hygiene in dogs

Quiet, comfy, enough exercise

Signs of pain in cats

Ear position, posture, squinting, behaviour to others (hissing, flinching)

Chronic musculoskeletal pain could be a sign of

Osteoarthritis

Chronic visceral pain could be a sign of

Cystitis, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis

Chronic peripheral neuropathic pain could be a sign of

Nerve injury, radiculopathy

Chronic central neuropathic pain could be a sign of

SC/ Brain injury

Issues with ignoring appeasement behaviours

Inc anxiety, frustration, exacerbate chronic pain

Non aggressive behavioural consequences of chronic pain

Mobility limitations, inc anxiety (social+physical avoidance), compulsive coping strategies

Visceral pain

Pain associated with internal organs (mainly GI + urogenital) + viscera

Behaviour assorted with visceral pain (dull vague poorly localised sensations)

Lip licking, air gulping, retching, praying posture, rigid, reaction to touch, alterations in response to food, difficulty settling, lack of interest, overgrooming

Inc protective emotions (confrontation, avoidant, inhibited, appeasement)

Behaviour associated with neuropathic pain (altered sensations)

Facial grimacing, head rubbing/shaking, skin nibbling, breathing alterations, changing interactions, gait + posture changes, changes in socialisation

How to improve treatment for pain

Improve engaging emotional bias, inc engaging triggers, reduce frustration, decrease protective triggers, improve drainage, form new associations