Complexities of Pain Assessment: Difference between revisions
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== | == '''Introduction''' == | ||
== Louis Gifford (MappSc. BSc. FCSP.), an internationally renowned expert and published author in pain treatment and management, describes the complexities of pain assessment in the following words: | |||
‘It is my opinion that a clinician unacquainted with the complexity of the pain experience will regard painful conditions as either psychological or pathological; a more informed clinician will unconsciously ascribe a percentage to each area; but an enlightened clinician will see pain as a dynamic interaction between a multitude of influences and manage it accordingly and appropriately.’ <ref>• Gifford L. Topical Issues in Pain 4: Placebo and non-placebo pain management, muscles and pain. Author House 2013; Page 194.</ref> | |||
His words demonstrate not only that pain itself is a complex sensation but also that a clinician’s effective interpretation of a patient’s pain requires experience, knowledge and awareness. A person’s experience of pain is highly personal and pain itself may present in a variety of different ways. The English language has a multitude of words to describe the sensation of pain; The Oxford Dictionary lists 9 synonyms under the definition of pain, ranging from ‘discomfort’ to ‘torture’ (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/pain <ref>• Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press 2015: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/pain [Online – Accessed May 2015]</ref>). Although pain is a physical sensation, it is also affected by factors such as psychology, social issues, environmental issues, feelings and behaviours<ref>• Main CJ. Sullivan MJL. Watson PJ. Pain Management: Practical applications of the bio-psychosocial perspective in clinical and occupational settings. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier 2008: Chapters 2,3,4: 29-73.</ref>. In short, the assessment of pain should be approached in a holistic manner, looking at the patient as an individual, appreciating the context of their experience and the difficulties the patient may have in expressing their pain. | |||
As highlighted in the quote by Louis Gifford above, improved knowledge and awareness of the influences on a patient’s pain, perception and expression will vastly improve a clinician’s approach to the patient in pain. This concept forms the focus of this article, which does not look in detail at the specific tools available to assess pain but instead seeks to highlight and analyse the barriers to successful understanding. For a more specific look at Pain Assessment tools refer to the Physiopaedia ‘Pain Assessment’ pages (http://www.physio-pedia.com/Pain_Assessment<ref>• Lowe R. Thomas E. Etherton J. Walker W. Jackson D. Physiopaedia. Pain Assessment: http://www.physio-pedia.com/Pain_Assessment [Online – accessed June 2015]</ref>).<br><br> | |||
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Revision as of 15:04, 2 September 2015
- Please do not edit unless you are involved in this project, but please come back in the near future to check out new information!!
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Tips for writing this page:
- Describe and explain the considerations that maybe required when assessing an individuals pain experience relating to : communication barriers, cognitive impairment, spirituality, ethnicity, age, pain type/state e.g. cancer pain or neuropathic pain.
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Top Contributors - Rachel Vennard, Kim Jackson, Lauren Lopez, Jo Etherton, 127.0.0.1 and Claire Knott
Introduction[edit | edit source]
== Louis Gifford (MappSc. BSc. FCSP.), an internationally renowned expert and published author in pain treatment and management, describes the complexities of pain assessment in the following words: ‘It is my opinion that a clinician unacquainted with the complexity of the pain experience will regard painful conditions as either psychological or pathological; a more informed clinician will unconsciously ascribe a percentage to each area; but an enlightened clinician will see pain as a dynamic interaction between a multitude of influences and manage it accordingly and appropriately.’ [1]
His words demonstrate not only that pain itself is a complex sensation but also that a clinician’s effective interpretation of a patient’s pain requires experience, knowledge and awareness. A person’s experience of pain is highly personal and pain itself may present in a variety of different ways. The English language has a multitude of words to describe the sensation of pain; The Oxford Dictionary lists 9 synonyms under the definition of pain, ranging from ‘discomfort’ to ‘torture’ (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/pain [2]). Although pain is a physical sensation, it is also affected by factors such as psychology, social issues, environmental issues, feelings and behaviours[3]. In short, the assessment of pain should be approached in a holistic manner, looking at the patient as an individual, appreciating the context of their experience and the difficulties the patient may have in expressing their pain.
As highlighted in the quote by Louis Gifford above, improved knowledge and awareness of the influences on a patient’s pain, perception and expression will vastly improve a clinician’s approach to the patient in pain. This concept forms the focus of this article, which does not look in detail at the specific tools available to assess pain but instead seeks to highlight and analyse the barriers to successful understanding. For a more specific look at Pain Assessment tools refer to the Physiopaedia ‘Pain Assessment’ pages (http://www.physio-pedia.com/Pain_Assessment[4]).
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References[edit | edit source]
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- ↑ • Gifford L. Topical Issues in Pain 4: Placebo and non-placebo pain management, muscles and pain. Author House 2013; Page 194.
- ↑ • Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press 2015: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/pain [Online – Accessed May 2015]
- ↑ • Main CJ. Sullivan MJL. Watson PJ. Pain Management: Practical applications of the bio-psychosocial perspective in clinical and occupational settings. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier 2008: Chapters 2,3,4: 29-73.
- ↑ • Lowe R. Thomas E. Etherton J. Walker W. Jackson D. Physiopaedia. Pain Assessment: http://www.physio-pedia.com/Pain_Assessment [Online – accessed June 2015]
