When it comes to pain and pain resilience, there is never a one-size-fits-all threshold. A mild discomfort for one person may be perceived to another as severe or chronic pain and for others that pain is so unbearable that they seek urgent medical intervention. Different scenarios can also affect pain levels; either because of their past experiences with pain, or because of fear, illness or injury. Others may down-play their pain levels to avoid being admitted to hospital, undergo treatments or to avoid any attention.
The effect of pain can be very different and as a result, this can have a significant impact when compiling Care reports. How a person accurately describes their pain levels to a Care Expert can be difficult and often an emotional experience; sensitivity levels and their perception can also be led by psychological symptoms.
What is pain and resilience?
When a person is able to successfully overcome or adapt to adversity, this process is known as resilience. Pain, however, can be of a physical nature or due to a psychologically stressful event. Both, however, can impact a persons’ ability to be able to focus on positive outcomes which is paramount in returning an individual to how they were prior to their injury or accident.
How is pain measured?
The easiest and most common method used to measure pain is with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), where a person is asked to rate their pain between 0 (no pain at all) and 10 (worst pain imaginable).
When compiling a Care report, our Associates will always indicate if pain affects the claimant and any strategies they have developed to manage their pain. They will differentiate between pre-morbid t pain levels and pain levels following accident or injury. As Experts, we take into consideration any Pain Management records and recommendations made.
Are some people more susceptible to feeling pain?
There are a number of factors which contribute to how much pain a person can manage until it becomes intolerable. This can include pain at differential base levels, age and gender, where, for example, it has regularly been assumed that women have much higher pain resilience than men because they experience childbirth [AB1] [KM2] but also takes into consideration past experiences of the individual such as whether they have had previous traumas, medical emergencies or sociological stressors.
Typically, people who communicate a low resilience to pain may also have experienced catastrophic thoughts, perceived stress, or poor social support in their past. As a result, low resilience can present itself as the expectation of pain, which can contribute to anxiety and depression and result in a greater intensity of pain.
Likewise, however, people with a high resilience to pain often display protective tendencies such as optimism, hope, determination and strong levels of control, presenting their pain as mild, moderate or bearable as they know and expect that pain to be over at some stage.
Living with pain
When people experience pain so often, it becomes a part of their lifestyle. This is known as living with chronic pain, and whilst it does mean that those individuals will experience many different daily challenges to the people around them, there are a number of resilience resources and mechanisms which can positively influence a persons’ ability to cope with chronic pain, promote recovery and encourage growth. These include:
- Biological: using educational resources to better understand the medical relationships between pain and bodily health, in an effort to accept that factors such as genetics, physiology, neurochemistry, tissue health, and gender play a part.
- Social: focussing on interpersonal factors such as social interactions, family support, community, culture, and socioeconomic inputs.
- Psychological: taking part in mental and emotional wellness activities which target positive thinking, mood-boosting, self-efficacy, mindfulness and coping skills.
- Medications: if prescribed, opioids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be effective in providing relief from chronic pain by addressing pain messages in the brain or reducing inflammation and fever.
- Alternative therapies: options such as acupuncture, biofeedback or meditation can also be introduced as elements of a coordinated treatment plan.
- Interventional pain medicine: if recommended by an expert, injections and minimally invasive techniques to disrupt pain signals and can help chronic pain sufferers who have failed to find relief using other treatments. This can include discography, pain pumps, or nerve blocks.
How TG Associates can help
As pain perception and resilience varies from person to person, the treatment, support and therapies all vary too, depending on a person’s sensitivity to pain levels and how they react to it. At its core, pain is multidimensional, and encompasses several aspects that must be evaluated individually to each person to allow for appropriate pain management.
At TG Associates, we appreciate the complexities of pain management and a person’s ability to live with pain, or see their loved ones experience it. Our nationwide associates will delve into the root cause of that pain to determine the best outcomes for helping people cope and thrive.
To find out more about how we can help, or to browse and instruct an associate today, get in touch. We would be happy to assist and answer any questions you may have.
