M5 Discussion – The Ins and Outs of Pain

The Ins and Outs of Pain
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The Ins and Outs of Pain
Part A: Pain
It is essential for people to experience pain for self-protection. The body reacts to pain to stop an individual from undertaking harmful activities. When an individual stubs a toe, he or she may experience a sharp pain that starts from the toe and spreads throughout the entire body. A person can realize that he or she is feeling pain due to the function of the nervous system (McGill University, 2010). According to Brannon, Feist, and Updegraff (2013), the nervous system decodes information from the five senses, processes it and triggers a body reaction such as a muscle move which causes pain. Pain is an example of sensory information that is picked by a sensory receptor at the surface of the body. The receptors then convert the physical energy such as pressure, sound, and heat to neural impulses which originate from the peripheral nervous system. These impulses travel to the spinal cord and the brain which helps a person detect pain.
Part B: Treatment of Pain
Physicians start the treatment of pain by identifying its dimension. A patient can experience throbs, muscle cramp, tenderness, heaviness, aching, exhaustion, sharp, shooting, splitting, or a burning sensation with different intensities (Melzack, 1987). Medical treatment is a conventional method of pain management. Physicians diagnose patients with acute pain administers different kinds of medication such as analgesic drugs which influence pain perception.

For instance, patients with lower back pain can use antidepressants to alter pain perception while those with a migraine headache can use anticonvulsants to relieve pain. Surgery is also a useful medical treatment of pain. In severe cases that cannot be treated using drugs, patients undergo surgery that is essential in repairing the source of the pain (Brannon, Feist & Updegraff, 2013).
Behavioral techniques such as relaxation training, cognitive therapy, and behavioral therapy is an alternative method of treating pain. Relaxation training is a mind-body treatment that reduces tension and relieves a migraine headache. Patients using this approach to manage pain can practice meditation on a regular basis. According to Barnett and Shale (2012), meditation helps individual concentrate on the surrounding or oneself through word repetition or focusing on their breathing. This practice reduces anxiety, insomnia, stress, pain and even regulates blood pressure (Barnett & Shale, 2012). Other alternative methods of treating pain involve the use of dietary supplements which supply vital nutrients to the body. However, Tooley (2012) states that it is essential for people to understand that complementary and supplementary drugs can be harmful since they are not regulated. Furthermore, some of the alternative medicines available in the market such as homeopathy and faith healing are ineffective (Reason TV, 2015).
Part C: Mind-Body Medicine
Mind-body medicine includes the techniques that psychologists have developed over time to help individuals with the management of stress. These methods form part of the alternative medicine (Brannon, Feist & Updegraff, 2013). These techniques mainly aim at influencing the cognitive and physical function of the body. Cognitive behavioral therapy is an example of mind-body medicine. Therapists use this treatment method to develop thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and skills with the aim of promoting positive thoughts. This approach is most useful in people to experiencing pain in the form of stress. The work of the therapist is to help the person develop immunity to prevent high levels of stress through the conceptualization of stress, the acquisition of necessary skills and application of the new behavior. This kind of therapy is effective in the management and prevention of stress (Brannon, Feist & Updegraff, 2013). Therefore, patients undergoing psychological pain as a result of trauma as well as those fighting substance abuse problems, chronic fatigue and chronic back pain benefit from the therapy.
References
Barnett, J. E., & Shale, A. J. (2012). The integration of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) into the practice of psychology: A vision for the future. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 43(6), 576.
Brannon, L., Feist, J., & Updegraff, J. A. (2013). Health psychology: An introduction to behavior and health. Cengage Learning.
McGill University. (2010, October 6). Ronald Melzack: Pain pioneer [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRFanGInvlcMelzack, R. (1987). The short-form McGill pain questionnaire. Pain, 30(2), 191-197.
Reason TV. (2015, September 4). The alternative medicine racket: How the Feds fund quacks [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWbkvCMuU5A
Tooley, A. (2012, December 14). Alternative vs. Western medicine [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNhHSTegu5o