Page 78 - Psychology of Wounds and Wound Care in Clinical Practice ( PDFDrive )

References 51

lowered anxiety. In controlling anxiety, it patients with
prolonged experience of painful dressing change may need
more than a single-pain free experiences. Sometimes, in such
situations, the clinician may need to implement a separate
strategy for the management of patient anxiety.

Summary

Pain is a complex phenomenon with a multitude of influential
factors, including social, psychological and physiological
elements. It is important for clinicians to consider these
multiple factors and the techniques available to them when
dealing with wounds. The reduction of pain can have a
significant positive impact upon both the physical health and
psychological health of a patient. Hence, it is essential that
clinicians acknowledge, assess, and manage the presence of
pain appropriately and effectively. In implementing such
strategies it is suggested that the pain-stress-pain cycle can be
broken, enabling the facilitation of wound healing whilst also
improving patient’s experience of wound management,
health and subsequent quality of life.

References

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Beitz JM, Goldberg E. The lived experience of having a chronic wound:
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Bosmans JC, Geertzen JHB, Post W, Van der Schans CP, Dijkstra
PU. Factors associated with phantom limb pain: a 3 ½ year pro-
spective study. Clin Rehabil. 2010;24(5):444–53.
Briggs M, Nelson EA. Topical agents or dressings for pain in venous
leg ulcers. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010;4:1–32.
Briggs M, Torra I, Bou JE. Pain at wound dressing changes: a guide to
management. European Wound Management Association position
document. London: Medical Education Partnership Ltd; 2002. p. 12–7.
British Pain Society and British Geriatrics Society. Guidance on
the assessment of pain in older people. 2007. Available from: