Pain & Pain Management
Health Psychology
Meaning of Pain
• ____________
– Tissue damage
• Psychological/emotional
– Perception
Stages of Pain
• Acute Pain– Time: short– e.g., __________
• Prechronic Pain
• Chronic Pain– Time: long– e.g., lower back
Assessment
• Self report
• Interview
• Observational methods
McGill Pain
Quest.
Pain Rating Scales
Signs
• Muscle rigidity
• Tears
• Grimace
• Groan
• Agitation
• _________________
Pain Management Techniques
• Relaxation
• Biofeedback
• Hypnosis
• Acupuncture
• Distraction
• Medication
• Surgery
Biofeedback
• DFN = info on bodily process to learn to control it• e.g., bp, hr, skin temp• Electromyograph (EMG) = electrical discharge in
muscle fibers• ____________________ = skin temperature
• Audio/visual signal• Trial/error- pt changes thoughts, behaviors
Biofeedback Outcomes
• Joint pain, migraine headache, hypertension
• Expensive technology & trained personnel– Relaxation & hypnosis
cheaper & easier
• NOT better for _____• Better for migraines
Hypnosis
• ___________ state• Mesmer made famous• Multiple DFNS:
– altered state of consciousness– trait of hypnotizability
• Hypnotized people:– will perform minor feats– won’t hurt self, others
Hypnosis Process
• Relaxation• Told it will v pain (__________________)• Induction = being placed under hypnosis
(distraction)• Instructed to think of pain differently
(reinterpretation)
Hypnosis Outcomes
• Surgery, childbirth, dental procedures, burns, headaches
• Unclear: block pain OR ________________
• NOT better for low suggestible pts
• Better for high suggestible pts
Acupuncture
• DFN = long, thin needles inserted into body• China: surgery (still talking)• Expectations (placebo)
– v fear
– ^ tolerance
• Releases ________________? (v pain)• Better for short-term pain
Distraction
• Other activity (e.g., pledge of allegiance)
• __________________ (e.g., secret agent)
• Better for short-term, low-level pain
Medication
• Morphine– Tolerance– _________________– Good for severe pain
• Local anesthetics to wounded area
• Block transmission (e.g., spinal cord)
• Brain (e.g., antidepressants)
Surgery
• Cut/disrupt body’s “pain fibers”– Periphery to spinal cord– Spinal cord to brain
• ______________ (e.g., different neural pathways)
• Damage nervous system > chronic pain
Helpful Parent Behaviors
• Distract
• Engage
• Educate
• Coach coping behaviors