Types of Pain
Posted by Healthfitline
On
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Pain is defined as unpleasant feeling or discomfort caused by illness or injury. Depending on the intensity of the pain and individual's pain tolerance level, people tend to react to pain differently. Most adults on the other hand perceive pain as a form of weakness and rarely seek medical advice unless the pain is very severe or intolerable.
Types of Pain
Types of Pain
Acute Pain - This is a type of pain that lasts for less than 6 months. The pain usually start suddenly without any warnings. During the painful episodes, the patient's vital signs like heart rate, respiratory rate, BP are usually increased.
Chronic Pain - A type of pain that is experienced for a period of more than 6 months. Most people suffering from chronic pain have normal vital signs and rarely verbalize about the pain that they are experiencing.
Visceral Pain - Abdominal cavity pain, cranium or type of pain experienced by individuals with obstructed bowel.
Cutaneous Pain - This is a type of pain that originates from the skin and the subcutaneous tissues.
Radiating Pain - The pain extends to other parts of the body rather than where it is originating from. Such as; chest pain in a patient experiencing a heart attack that extend up to the left shoulder.
Referred Pain - Pain experienced in some other parts of the body rather than the part of the painful stimulus. For example; Gallbladder disease can cause pain on the right shoulder.
Deep Somatic Pain - A type of pain that originates in the ligaments, bones, blood vessels, tendons and nerves. Example of such pain is the ankle sprain.
Intractable Pain - This is a type of pain does not respond to any treatment.
Phantom Pain - A painful sensation perceived in an amputated part of the body. For example, a pain experienced by a diabetic patient after below knee amputation surgery.
Pain Assessment
Pain is a subjective data and only the patient can be able to describe how he or she is feeling. Pain is assessed using the following guide questions;
- Onset - When the pain started.
- Location - Where is the pain located in the body.
- Duration - How long is the painful episodes lasting.
- Characteristics - How does the pain feel.
- Aggravating factors - What kind of action worsens the pain or what triggers the painful episodes.
- Radiating - Is the pain extending to other parts of the body.
- Treatment - What has the patient done to lessen the pain or what is patient doing to minimize the pain.
These are some of the questions used while assessing the pain. The patient should be able to answer all the questions, correctly since they are the ones used to guide the physician on coming up with the right diagnosis.
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