PAIN: DESCRIPTION, CAUSES AND TREATMENT

Pain has been described as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. The concept of an emotional component to pain is important. It means that people can experience similar levels of pain, but respond with entirely different emotions. More importantly emotional differences can be translated into behaviour.

The businessman with back pain and sciatica earning two hundred thousand dollars a year will look very favourably on a rehabilitation program or ignore the pain and keep working. The assembly line worker on low pay and no prospects whatsoever sees the same complaint as a road to retirement and a life without alienating labour. The factory worker will quickly choose to adopt the role of a handicapped person. The businessman will work on as if nothing was wrong.

Similar differences occur when war injuries are compared to similar injuries from road trauma. The soldier is considerably relieved that his life and limb is no longer on the line. The motor vehicle accident victim has a mind filled with doubts, fears and uncertainties.

Another interesting feature of pain is that studies show no one feels more or less pain than anyone else. The same level of stimulus elicits the same levels of pain. Again the difference in individual response to pain is one of attitude and behaviour.

It follows that any holistic response to the management of acute or chronic pain must take into account the meaning of the pain to its victim. Nor is it any surprise to find that mind altering drugs such as the antidepressants and the major tranquillizers work so well in combination with narcotics like Morphine and Pethidine.

When pain persists after detectable disease has disappeared e.g. after an attack of low back pain, the term Chronic Pain Syndrome is applied. Typically the syndrome does not respond to treatment with non narcotic pain killers. Whether this condition's basis lies wholly in the body, in the mind or as a result of social and cultural factors is not known.

Whatever its cause, doctors are taught not to manage the problem by intensifying drug treatment. Narcotics are withdrawn in favour of the non addictive mind altering drugs. Non drug therapy, such as psychotherapy and rehabilitation programs are advisable.

Home Remedies

For the pain of headaches, arthritis, minor trauma or dental care take Paracetamol; not Aspirin. If pain persists consult your doctor.