Pain Assessment and Gate-Control Theory Essentials

Vocabulary flashcards focusing on key pain-related terms, assessment tools, and physiological concepts highlighted in the lecture notes.

Gate Control Theory of Pain

Concept that neural ‘gates’ in the spinal cord can open or close to allow or block pain impulses, thus modulating pain perception.

Therapeutic Massage

Hands-on technique that stimulates large sensory fibers, helping close the spinal pain gates and reduce discomfort.

Heat Treatments

Application of warmth (e.g., hot packs) to alter local circulation and close pain gates, providing analgesic relief.

Distraction (Pain Management)

Cognitive strategy that shifts a patient’s focus away from pain, thereby decreasing perceived intensity.

Electrochemical Events (Pain Transmission)

Series of electrical and chemical processes by which pain signals travel from peripheral nerves to the brain.

Gating Mechanisms

Neural control points in the dorsal horn that regulate whether pain impulses reach higher brain centers.

Cellulitis

Acute bacterial infection of skin and subcutaneous tissue causing redness, swelling, warmth, and pain.

Subjective Data

Information that only the patient can report, such as “my pain is a 7/10.”

Objective Data

Measurable or observable findings obtained by the clinician, such as vital signs or wound appearance.

Referred Pain

Pain perceived at a site other than the origin of the stimulus, e.g., cardiac pain felt in the jaw or left arm.

Numeric Pain Scale

0-to-10 rating tool that lets patients quantify their pain intensity with numbers.

Visual Analog Scale

Straight line scale on which patients mark a point representing pain intensity between ‘no pain’ and ‘worst pain.’

Categorical Pain Scale

Assessment tool that uses descriptive words—mild, moderate, severe—to classify pain levels.

Functional Pain Scale

Instrument that evaluates pain based on how it limits a patient’s daily activities or mobility.

Endorphins

Body’s natural opioid-like peptides that bind to receptors and diminish pain perception.

Hypothalamus (Pain Recognition)

Brain region involved in interpreting endorphin activity and regulating the body’s pain response.

Deductive Data Collection

Assessment approach that moves from general theories or signs to specific patient evidence.

Speculative Data

Information based on conjecture or guesswork rather than direct patient input or observation.

Precisely Localized Pain

Pain confined to a single, identifiable area with clear borders.

Intermittent Pain

Pain that occurs in episodes, alternating with pain-free periods.

Chronic Pain

Persistent or recurring pain lasting longer than the typical healing period, often over three to six months.