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