Page 57 - Psychology of Wounds and Wound Care in Clinical Practice ( PDFDrive )

30 Chapter 2. Pain

Table 2.1 Types of wound-related pain
Type Cause Duration
Chronic Neuropathic pain can Neuropathic pain
background occur from injury of is often chronic
pain trauma which causes and can last for
nerve damage and months or years. The
subsequent malfunction of pain can become
the central nervous system independent from
(CNS) the initial trauma or
damage.
Pain at Nociceptive pain Nociceptive pain
wound occurs when receptors can be both acute
treatments (nociceptors) sense and and persistent as
respond to parts of the a result of tissue
body that suffer from damage. However, it
damage or trauma. It can is generally localised
be caused by trauma to a to the wound and the
wound or the surrounding surrounding tissue.
tissue when dressings
are applied or removed.
Wound cleansing (swabs,
cold liquids, topical
antiseptics) can also
initiate acute pain.
Anticipatory If patients perceive Anticipatory pain is
pain wound treatments to be usually quite short
painful from previous in duration. It is
experience, this can dependent on the
initiate pain signals to the individual patient’s
CNS. Patient anxiety can perceptions.
result in environmental
and somatic signals being
brought to the patient’s
attention, thus increasing
sensory receptivity.
Patients’ expectations of
pain at wound treatments
can cause them to
experience pain before
the treatment has been
administered.