Page 54 - Psychology of Wounds and Wound Care in Clinical Practice ( PDFDrive )

Defining Pain 27

wound manipulation, negative pressure treatment and so on)
is significant- probably the most significant issue that those
with wounds have to deal with. For example, it has been
reported that 80 % of patients with venous leg ulcers report
acute or chronic wound pain (Briggs and Nelson 2010 ).
Additionally, half of these described their pain as moderate to
the worst possible pain, a finding emphasised by patients’ vivid
memories and descriptions of such pain even after the wounds
had healed. Research exploring pain in 32 patients with pres-
sure ulcers echo such findings with 18 % reporting pain as
excruciating or horrible, while 75 % highlighted the distress
caused by such pain. Again, the distressing nature of wound
pain has been elucidated by Price at al. ( 2008a , b ), with patients
perceiving such pain to be the most devastating aspect related
to chronic wounds due to its all- encompassing nature.
Research has consistently highlighted the need for clinicians
to incorporate both pain and stress management strategies
into their care regimes. Despite this, however, health profes-
sionals often place lower importance on the management of
pain, relegating it to a lower priority (Vermeulen et al. 2007 ).
This is of substantial concern, particularly when (as will be
discussed) the detrimental consequences associated with
heightened pain are repeatedly reported. The vicious cycle of
pain, stress, worsened pain and delayed wound healing has
been evidenced substantially across wound related studies. As
such, it is imperative that wound- care professionals are not
only aware of this process, but also incorporate their knowl-
edge and understanding of it within their clinical practice. The
recognition of the primacy of pain and stress as part of the
wound-care process and management can enhance not only
wound healing, but also patients’ overall psychological health
and well-being.

Defining Pain

According to the International Association for the Study of
Pain (IASP 2012 ), pain is defined as