Pain Assessment

• Cancer pain - Due to compression of peripheral nerves or meninges from the damage to these structures following surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or tumour growth and infiltration.
• Nociceptive Pain: Visceral pain (abdominal cavity, thorax, cranium). Somatic pain (Ligaments, tendons, bones, blood vessels, nerves)
• Neuropathic pain (Non-nociceptive) - Due to injury or dysfunction of the peripheral and/or CNS.
• Nociplastic pain: altered/abnormal function of the nociceptive pathways or cerebral cortex in the absence of a nociceptive stimulus or neuropathic lesion.
• Nociceptive Pain - Special nerve endings called nociceptors send pain signals to the CNS.
• Neuropathic pain: Caused by dysfunction in the nervous system or damage to the nerve itself.
• Radiating Pain - Experiences at the source and radiating to other tissues. Nerve or nerve root in the spinal column under pressure.
• Referred Pain - Perceived in body areas away from the pain source.
• Intractable Pain - Pain highly resistant to usual analgesic measures (Panadol).
• Phantom Pain - Perceived in nerves left by a missing, amputated or paralysed body part. (mixed signals as the brain and spinal cord adjust to the missing limb).
• Acute Pain: Recent short term (present for <3 months)
• Chronic Pain : non-malignant or persistent, constant pain that persists for more than 3 months.
• Transient: Not persisting in the body for a long time, but can be temporary or permanent.
• Recurrent: occurring often or repeatedly
• Inflammatory Pain - pain that is caused by inflammation of the body.
• Gate Control Theory - the brain is a gate that controls the flow of information from the sensory register to the motor register. AND non-painful sensory input or cognitive activity can dampen or block painful sensations from reaching the brain.
• FLACC Scale - Used when assessing pain in infants and children.
• FLACC Scale - Face (Facial expression) Legs (Leg movements), Activity (Level of activity), Cry (Crying)