Pain & Pain Management

PSYC 4080Health Psychology

Amber M. Henslee, M.S.

Meaning of Pain• __________ pain

– Tissue damage to the body

• Psychological/emotional pain

– Perception

• EX: hook through the arm

Stages of Pain• Acute Pain

– Short duration– Signals us not to do that again!– e.g., _______

• Prechronic Pain– Either overcome pain or develops feelings of _________

• Chronic Pain– Long duration– Either from injury or a chronic condition– e.g., lower back

Assessment• Self report

– Rating scales, questionnaires

• ___________ methods

– Behavioral assessment

• Physiological measures

– ____ (Electromyography) measures muscle tension

McGill Pain

Quest.

Pain Rating Scales

Signs vs. SymptomsWhat you can observe:• Muscle rigidity• Tears• Grimace• Groan• Agitation• _____________

What they report:• Intensity • _________ • Duration• Better or Worse

Pain Management Techniques• Relaxation• Biofeedback• Hypnosis• Acupuncture• TENS (____________)• 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- patient 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 or others

Hypnosis Process• Relaxation• Told it will decrease 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: anesthetic for surgery• Expectations

– Decreases fear

– Increases tolerance

• Releases __________? (thus decreased pain)• Better for short-term pain

Distraction• Other activity (e.g., pledge of allegiance,

art/crafts)

• ______________

• Better for short-term, low-level pain

Medication• Morphine

– Tolerance– ___________– Good for severe pain– Poor for one who is chemically dependent

• 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