Today our topic of discussion is Characteristics of pain.
Characteristics of pain
Characteristics of Pain
- Severity: Ranges from no pain to excruciating pain
- Timing: Duration and onset of pain
- Location: Body area involved
- Quality: What the patient feels the pain is
- Personal meaning: How affects the persons daily life.
Factors increasing and decreasing pain: Age, gender, activity, rest, sleep, diet, culture, home remedies, drugs, alcohol, diversional activities like listening to music, watching TV, yoga, meditation, etc.
Assessment of pain: Assessment of pain can be done by under following headings:
- Location of pain
- Mode of onset (acute or chronic)
- Any precipitating factors
- Quality of pain (dull, moderate, shooting, spasms)
- Duration
- Any change in quality
- Any measures taken after pain started, if so
-What measures?
-Whether it is effective?
- Clinical observation Clients appearance
-Motor behavior (facial expression, gait, posture)
-Affective behavior
-Local ‘Observation’ if pain is external
- Monitoring of vital signs like BP, pulse, temperature.
Pain assessment: Pain intensity scale.depicting expressions that range from contented to obvious of pain.
Faces pain scale revised: This instrument has 6 faces distress. The patient is asked to point to the face that most closely resembles the intensity of his or her pain .
Management of pain: Techniques used for management.
Few techniques are used to produce analgesia in the individuals. The common techniques used in the skin are:
- Pressure: Pressure applied by fingertips or thumb
- Acupressure: It involves pressure and massage
- Massage: Rubbing on and around the area of pain
- Cutaneous vibration: Short and long wave diathermy
- Heat therapy: Dry heat or moist heat application
- Cold therapy: Dry cold or moist cold application
- External application: of gel or creams
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