Chronic Pain Explanatory Model

Conceptual analysis is integral in understanding nursing theory. According to Walker and Avant (1995), concept analysis allows nursing scholars to examine the attributes or characteristics of a concept. It can be used to evaluate a nursing theory and allows for examination of concepts for relevance and fit within the theory. The phenomena of pain will be discussed in this paper and how it relates to the comfort theory.

According to The World Health Organisation (1999), defined pain as an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. Pain is traditionally described as acute or chronic pain. The prevalence of chronic pain (CP) is higher than of acute of pain, as it affects 7.8 million people of all ages in the UK (Chronic Pain Policy Coalition., 2006). The current leading cause of mortality that is accounting for 60% of all deaths is due to chronic diseases and is also a problem as causes an increasing burden on the health care service (World Health Organisation., 2007). CP can affect a person’s quality of life if managed poorly, statistics shows that 25% of people lose their job and 22% leads to depression. (Chronic Pain Policy Coalition.,

The proper way to ensure that this is not a constant problem is to make sure that initial pain assessments as well as re-assessments are done in a timely manner. It seems as though the initial pain assessment was completed using the pain scale but the re-assessment was not complete and documented in the proper amount of time. In order to ensure proper documentation of the re-assessment once the first pain assessment has been completed and an intervention has properly been administered, the first action step will be to make sure that the reassessment is complete within one hour of pain intervention. With electronic mars it is easy to build in a recheck into the system to alert the nurse that a reassessment is needed once the pain medication has been administered to the patient. When a pain intervention is done, a flag will come up to remind the nurse taking care of the patient that a reassessment is due. This will also resolve the issue on the tracer audit of how does the nurse know the intervention worked. Another issue on the audit was if no pain intervention was done what was the reason for it not being done.

Per medical report dated 11/24/15 by Dr. Cano, the patient is complaining of severe numbness in the right hand, tightness around the right worse than left hand. She also associates this with dropping items. She is unable to button her shirts or raise her arms up to her elbows. This is continuous all day long. Also, associated is severe low back pain with numbness, radiation, and muscle spasm in the thoracic area, and numbness and radiation down the right sciatic nerve with severe low back pain. She continued to work, sixteen-hour shifts, seven days a week. At this time, she is unable to function. She states that she has had 24 sessions of physical therapy that has definitely helped her.

As a Northwestern University professor of Anesthesiology, Honorio T. Benzon, defines chronic pain is “a demoralizing state that confronts individuals not only with the distress created by the symptoms but also with many other ongoing difficulties that compromise all aspects of their lives” (Benzon). Therefore, chronic pain is rooted in a variety of neurologic functions, integrated from the brain that affects the individual internally and externally. According to David B. Reuben MD, a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine,

Lower limb lymphedema (LLL) induced by standard surgical and radiation treatment for gynecological cancers is a serious complication that can lead to adverse physical and mental patient outcomes1. It is estimated that between 7 and 78 percent of patients treated for gynecological cancers develop LLL after beginning their medical treatment regimen2,3,4. This substantial disparity is likely due to variable definitions of lymphedema, bias regarding how lymphedema is

Some of the most common signs and symptoms patients experience with the disease of Lymphedema is swelling and a feeling of “fullness” in their arms and legs. Patients at times have described the loss of flexibility due to the increase in pain. In addition, the inability to wear their clothes, rings, and wristwatches due to the feeling of them being too tight.

‘Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage’ (International association for the study of pain 2014). Pain can be made up of complex and subjective experiences. The experience of pain is highly personal and private, and can not be directly observed or measured from one person to the next (Mac Lellan 2006). According to the agency for health care policy and research 1992, an individuals self-report of pain is the most reliable indicator of its presence. This is also supported by Mc Caffery’s definition in 1972, when he said ‘Pain is whatever the experiencing patient says it is, existing whenever he says it does’.

Appropriate pain treatment is essential in providing quality care to patients. Pain is a universal phenomenon caused by varying biological and psychosocial factors. The role of nurses in pain management is to understand pain’s subjectivity and utilize the tools that can aid in assessments, delivery of relief, maintenance, monitoring, and control. This paper will discuss ten items patients should know about regarding pain management. Different standpoints are presented based on used of opioids pain therapy, alternative methods, and psychosocial aspects. Cultural barriers in pain management and ways to address those barriers will also be discussed. The aim of a nurse in managing pain is to deliver

Pain is a complicated idea defined by the American Pain Society as “whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever the experiencing person says it does.” Nearly 100 million Americans experience chronic pain, not including children or acute pain sufferers. Pain dictates lives, and it dominates paychecks too. It is a significant health problem that yields around $560-$635 billion every year. While these numbers may seem controversial, the real problem begins when those experiencing pain visit the hospital seeking treatment.

The most common reason that people seek medical care is pain, and pain is the leading cause of disability (Peterson & Bredow, 2013, p. 51; National Institute of Health, 2010). Pain is such an important topic in healthcare that the United States congress “identified 2000 to 2010 as the Decade of Pain Control and Research” (Brunner L. S., et al., 2010, p. 231). Unfortunatelly, patients are reporting a small increase in satisfaction with the pain management while in the hospital (Bernhofer, 2011). Pain assessment and treatment can be complex since nurses do not have a tool to quantify it. Pain is considered the fifth vital sign, however, we do not have numbers to guide our interventions. Pain is a subjective expirience that cannot be shared easily. Since nurses spend more time with patients in pain than any other healthcare provider, nurses must have a clear understanding of the concept of pain (Brunner, et al., 2010). Concept analysis’ main objective is to clarify ideas, to enhance critical thinking, and to promote communication (Rodgers & Knafl, 2000). This paper will examine the concept of pain using Wilson’s Steps of Concept Analysis (Rodgers & Knafl, 2000).

The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage” (1979). Pain is actually the culprit behind warranting a visit to a physician office for many people (Besson, 1999). Notoriously unpleasant, pain could also pose a threat as both a psychological and economic burden (Phillips, 2006). Sometimes pain does happen without any damage of tissue or any likely diseased state. The reasons for such pain are poorly understood and the term used to describe such type of pain is “psychogenic pain”. Also, the loss of productivity and daily activity due to pain is also significant. Pain engulfs a trillion dollars of GDP for lost work time and disability payments (Melnikova, 2010). Untreated pain not only impacts a person suffering from pain but also impacts their whole family. A person’s quality of life is negatively impacted by pain and it diminishes their ability to concentrate, work, exercise, socialize, perform daily routines, and sleep. All of these negative impacts ultimately lead to much more severe behavioral effects such as depression, aggression, mood alterations, isolation, and loss of self-esteem, which pose a great threat to human society.

Chronic pain is defined as a pain that doesn’t go away for a long time. The pain can last for weeks, more than 3 months, years, and might make someone feel hopeless. Chronic pain does not relief with regular pain medication. It is important to address chronic pain because is physically and psychologically stressful. Its persistent discomfort can lead to irritation and frustration with the person’s self and with other people. Pain affects not only mental health but interfere also with someone’s sleep pattern.

    Pain Management is a specialty in modern medicine, which focuses on treating all categories of pain such as spinal, neuropathic, sickle cell, and musculoskeletal pain disorders. According to Johnson, Collett, and Castro-Lopes (2013) pain management cases constitute about a third of PCPs (Primary Care Physicians) appointments. However, only sixty-percent or less of patients treated for chronic pain in routine practice setting achieves adequate pain relief. Some of the issues attributed to low success rate in chronic pain management can be associated with information management. In that regard, the process

Pain is a basic mechanism in life that helps the body identify that something is wrong or dangerous. Without pain, the body would be severely damaged without realizing it. Pain can become an inconvenience when it spirals out of control; chronic pain, for example, leaves many miserable and unable to enjoy life to its fullest extent even with traditional medical intervention. Around 80% of people report chronic pain in their lifetime (Holtzman & Beggs, 2013). People afflicted by chronic back pain turn to modern medicine for relief, but even these alternatives are not always 100% effective.