Pain - Merely A Response To A Painful Stimulus?

Critically evaluate the view that pain is merely a response to a painful stimulus.

Pain Essay: unit 3

There are various definitions of pain. The most commonly agreed upon seems to be “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience arising from actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage”

The most appropriate definition of pain within clinical practice was suggested by Margo McCaffrey in (1968). His definition was ‘whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he says it does’

Pain is an abhorrent feeling that is transported to the brain by sensory neurons. The symptoms of displeasure act on potential injury to the body. Although saying that pain is more than a feeling or the actual tangible awareness of pain. It also is inclusive of perception and the subjective understanding of the discomfort. Perception allows information on the location of a pain, its intensity and a little about the nature of it.

The mechanism of pain perception, meaning how do we feel pain?

If we were to look at Mc Caffery’s definition of pain it is indicating that pain is understood and felt completely differently in each individual case. This definition also suggests that painful experiences really depend on the person who is experiencing it and that nobody else is completely adept to know or understand how he or she is feeling because of that pain. Mc Caffery does not in his definition actually declare or explain what pain actually is, what causes any discomfort, or how or why pain happens.

The multiple conscious and unconscious reaction to both perception and sensation, as well as any emotional acknowledgements, also provide a more defined concept of it.

There are many reasons why pain might oc...

... middle of paper ...

...dition

Prentice Hall Publishing LTD, NY

Ramachandran. V.S and Blakeslee. S (1998) Phantoms in the brain: Probing the mysteries of the human mind.

William Morrow Publishing. NY

http://www.emotionalprocessing.org.uk/Chronic%20pain/Cognitive%20behavioural%20model%20of%20pain.htm

RDSU/NHS TRUST (2003)

Accessed on 17/02/10

http://www.emotionalprocessing.org.uk/Chronic%20pain/History%20of%20chronic%20pain.htm

RDSU/NHS TRUST (2003)

Accessed on 19/02/10

http://www.pain-management-info.com/definition-of-pain.htm

planet cognition (2007)

accessed on 09/02/2010

http://www.pain.com/go/default/

pain.com (2007)

Accessed on 10/02/2010

http://www.partnersagainstpain.com/

Purdue Parma LTD (2010)

Accessed on 18/02/2010

http://www.emotionalprocessing.org.uk/Chronic%20pain/History%20of%20chronic%20pain.htm

Dorset RDSU (2003)

Accessed on 16/02/2010