StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The Psychological Theories about Pain - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Pain is a common complaint in medical settings. It may be defined as an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.4% of users find it useful
The Psychological Theories about Pain
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Psychological Theories about Pain"

The Psychological Theories about Pain Introduction Pain is a common complaint in medical settings. It may be defined as an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage (WHO). It is experienced by everyone regardless of age, gender or economic status. It may be acute or chronic, with unbearable and chronic pain representing extreme problems for the patient. Being a multidimensional and complex phenomenon, it requires an interdisciplinary approach to assessment and intervention. Among the health-care professionals, nurses are the ones who have frequent contact with patients. Hence they assume a major role in identifying the patient who has pain, assessing its impact on the patient and the patients family and initiating action to alleviate pain using available resources (Richardson 2006). To understand pain, it is important to know the various psychological theories of pain. There are many theories which are put forward to understand pain. The most popular theories are the Specificity theory, the Pattern theory and the Gate Control theory. The Specificity Theory This was the primary theory of pain until the middle of the 20th century. According to this theory, the damaged nerve fibers in our bodies send direct messages through the specific pain receptors and fibers to the pain center, the brain which causes the individual to feel pain (Adams and Bromley, 1998). Hence, the intensity of pain is directly related to the amount of associated tissue injury. It was believed that surgery or medication that took care of the tissue injury and its consequences should eliminate the root cause or source of pain. Although this assumption was valid for acute pain, it failed to take care of chronic pain. Patients were subjected to unnecessary procedures which only failed and led to further demoralization of the patient. Also, the fact that effectiveness of hypnosis as a mode of pain relief in the helpless Phantom limb’ pain further undermines this theory. As a result, this theory was discredited and evolvement of other theories occurred. The Pattern Theory According to this theory, pain is felt as a consequence to the amount of tissue damaged and nerve fibers that carry pain signals can also transmit messages of cold, warmth and pressure (Adams and Bromley, 1998). Actually, several different pattern theories were proposed and they considered brain as a passive receiver of messages (Melzack 1993). Both Pattern theory and Specificity theory do not include psychological aspects of pain. These theories could not reason why injured soldiers from war did not experience much pain as compared to others with similar injuries. Thus, gradually, psychological aspect also was included in the process of pain giving rise to the famous ‘Gate Control Theory of Pain’. The Gate Control Theory of Pain The Gate Control theory, also referred to as biopsychosocial model is the first and the only theory to take into account psychological factors of pain experiences. It was proposed by Wall and Melzack in 1965. According to this theory, transmission of nerve impulses from afferent fibers to spinal cord transmission cells is modulated by a spinal gating mechanism in the dorsal horn which is influenced by the relative amount of activity in large-diameter and small-diameter fibers and by nerve impulses that descend from the brain. Activity in large fibers tends to inhibit transmission (close the gate) while activity in small fibers tends to facilitate transmission (open the gate). The substantia gelatinosa in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord was the proposed location of the gate. The rapidly conducting fibers (the Central Control Trigger) of the large diameter fibers activate the selective cognitive processes. These, by way of descending fibers, then modulate properties of the spinal gating mechanism. When the output of the spinal cord transmission cells exceeds a critical level, it activates the Action System. The Action system consists of those neural areas that underlie the complex, sequential patterns of behavior and experience characteristic of pain (Melzack 1993). This theory supports the fact that experiences of pain are influenced by many physical and psychological factors such as beliefs, prior experience, motivation, emotional aspects, anxiety and depression. This theory claims that pain may be experienced without any physical injury and individuals interpret pain differently even though the extent of injury is the same. The pain does not occur at the site of injury, it is experienced in the nervous system, notably the brain. The experience of pain is a function of physical, psychological and environmental factors operating in concert with each other. This is supported by the fact that patients who suffer pain, especially the chronic pain experience psychological distress which can actually increase the subjective experience of pain and impede physical recovery. This understanding of pain has led to a holistic approach of pain management which is found to be more effective in terms of patient recovery and decreased cost of health care (Robert 1997). The need for psycho-social interventions like psychotherapy, relaxation training, support groups, counseling, education, mood management like cognitive behavior therapy and motivation, along with physical treatment of the disease or injury has been stressed upon. This is because; psychological interventions have a direct effect on the neural pathways that control the experience of pain. This theory has further evolved in to the neuromatrix theory of pain. According to this theory, pain is a multidimensional experience produced by characteristic "neurosignature" patterns of nerve impulses that are generated by a widely distributed neural network that can be called the "body-self neuromatrix" and which is located in the brain. There are multiple factors that trigger the neuromatrix to produce ‘neurosignature’. These include sensory inputs (visual, temperature, tactile and other sensory inputs that influence cognitive interpretation), emotional inputs, intrinsic neural inhibitory modulation and the activity of the stress-regulation system (endocrine, autonomic, immune, and opioid systems). This process is nothing but an expansion of the central control processes in the original gate control theory. The central control processes would encompass cognitive-evaluative, motivational-affective, and sensory-discriminative systems. From this understanding, it is clear that pain may be triggered by a variety of sensory inputs, but may also be generated independently of them. Hence pain is a product of the widely distributed neural network in the brain and not directly due to nociceptive stimuli arising from injury (Melzack 2002). Clinical application of psychological theory Since the understanding of the psychological aspects of pain, approach to the management of pain, especially the distressing chronic pain has changed. Patients with chronic neuropathic pain are now managed with both pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods. They are trained in self-management to minimize pain flares and optimize mood and functioning. The cognitive-behavioral model is used to interpret changes in pain in a helpful way and engage in health promoting behaviors (including diet and exercise). The patient is also given psychological help to cope with pain exacerbations. The main purpose of this approach is to help patients become experts in understanding and managing their pain on their own so that their emotions, daily activities, and important relationships are not affected. Self-initiated techniques, such as relaxation, imagery, sexual fantasies and hypnosis, can also be used to alter the subjective experience of pain. Nurses who are in constant touch with the patients have a major role to play in such pain management (Arnstein 2004). Also, psychological consequences to chronic pain like depression, anxiety disorder, somatization disorder, and drug dependence are more and more recognized now and managed appropriately (Manchikanti 2002). References Adams, B. & Bromley, B., 1998. Psychology for Health Care: Key terms and Concepts. USA: Macmillan Press Ltd. Arnstein, P., Dec. 2004. Chronic neuropathic pain: issues in patient education. Pain Manag Nurs., 5(4), pp.34-41 Dannenbaum,S.E., The Evolving Theory of Pain management, Available from: https://www.mhn.com/static/pdfs/Details_Evolving_Theory_Pain_[Cited on 10th July 2007] Manchikanti, L., Fellows, B., and Singh, V., Jan.2002. Understanding psychological aspects of chronic pain in interventional pain management. Pain Physician, 5(1), pp.57-82. Melzack, R., 1993. Pain: Past, Present and Future. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 47(4), pp. 615-629 Melzack, R., 2001. Pain and the neuromatrix in the brain. J Dent Educ, 65, pp.1378-1382. Melzack, R.,2002. Evolution of pain theories. Program and abstracts of the 21st Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society: March 14-17, Baltimore, Maryland. Abstract 102. Richardson, C., Adams, N., and Poole, H., Sep.2006.Psychological approaches for the nursing management of chronic pain: part 2. J Clin Nurs.,15(9), pp.1196-202. Robert, K., 1997. The Psychology and Management of Pain Gate Control as Theory and Symbol. Theory & Psychology, 7(1), pp.43-65. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“The Psychological Theories about Pain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/psychology/1541432-the-psychological-theories-about-pain
(The Psychological Theories about Pain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words)
https://studentshare.org/psychology/1541432-the-psychological-theories-about-pain.
“The Psychological Theories about Pain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/psychology/1541432-the-psychological-theories-about-pain.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Psychological Theories about Pain

The Epistemology of Conspiracy Theories

An essay "The Epistemology of Conspiracy theories" reports that the epistemological concern of the author is with conspiracy theories, as distinct from those that do not pose a similar epistemological concern due to not pertaining to events with nefarious objectives.... hellip; In his essay titled 'Of conspiracy theories', the author Brian Keeley discusses certain epistemological issues pertaining to conspiracy theories....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Phenomenon of Pain

Therefore, writing about pain and its relationship with behaviorism is necessitated by the urgency to trace how chronic pain affects a person.... The essay "The Phenomenon of pain" focuses on the critical analysis of the major disputable issues concerning the phenomenon of pain.... nbsp;In the discipline of psychology, several approaches help in defining how pain comes into the lives of individuals and the expected ramifications....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

A theoretical approach to understand adult development

For a theory to be useful in the psychological world, it should also provide some significantly valid conclusions to help understand and explain the psychology of the subject.... Psychological theory is usually thought of as a systematic set of ideas and statements about the scientific study of behavior and cognitive processes.... hellip; Psychological theory is usually thought of as a systematic set of ideas and statements about the scientific study of behavior and cognitive processes....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Research Foundational Theorists

While human beings have always been interested in the motivations and identities of individuals and how both are expressed, it is only relatively recently that scientists and theorists have begun to explore these questions in an… In the course of this assignment I will look at some of psychology's foundational theorists, what they thought about the human condition, and what they contributed to the body of knowledge that tells us most about ourselves. To begin with, there is a very famous man He is the main foundational theorist without question—even if some of his ideas today seem somewhat controversial and difficult to agree with....
3 Pages (750 words) Research Paper

A Psychoanalystic Theorist and a Cognitive Theorist

nbsp;… A psychoanalystic theorist would attempt to study and analyze the psychological status of Dina in order to understand the motivations behind her negative behavior.... Accordingly, a psychologist would suggest that Dina's behavior may be adjusted by deeply analyzing the psychological impact of the social surroundings and backgrounds on Dina's psyche, in order to modify any distortions or abnormalities, such as rejection of sharing objects with others....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

WEEK 8 PSYCHOLOGY CD

The Superego, which develops at about 5 years of age, it brings one the sense of morality, our ability to negotiate right and wrong.... Give a brief explanation of one of the Neo-Freudian psychoanalytic theories, including the theorist and key concepts.... Neo-Freudians are students of Freud's theories and teachings; however they either disagreed with elements of the accepted theories or adapted variant theories of their own....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Personality Theories

hellip; This is followed by the Trait theory of Gordon Allport, where he makes many trait distinctions and talks about functional autonomy.... The writer of this assignment "Personality theories" explains the concept of Personality Theory and differences between the most prominent theories.... igmund Freud, the father of modern psychology, psychotherapy, and personality theories, who attacked the traditional theories of psychology and placed it on a vibrant path, was perhaps also the originator of Modern Personality Theory and Research....
10 Pages (2500 words) Assignment

Learning Theories of Albert Bendura

His studies on the aggressive behavior shown by the students have immensely helped the psychological theorists … Learners are most likely to imitate and model on inappropriate behaviors which act as detrimental to their learning and performance.... the psychological processes comprise of one's ability to entertain images in minds and language.... Similarly, Bandura viewed human behavior from a wider social and cultural context and his theories have brought about considerable changes in the way learning and behavior was previously understood  Similarly, Bandura held that all sorts of learning cannot be products of reinforcement and held that social and psychological factors are associated with the process of learning....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us