Chap 43 Pain Management Non-pharmacological Interventions

Areas to massage

1. Back 2. Neck 3. Arms 4. Hands 5. Feet DON'T massage patient's legs or calf muscles because of the risk of dislodging a vascular clot

Cold application characteristics

1. Cold applications reduce the acute pain from inflamed joints 2. Limit application to 5 minutes no more than 2-5 times a day 3. Do not apply cold treatments directly to skin 4. Effective before invasive needle punctures

Heat applications characteristics

1. Moist heat helps to relieve the pain from a tension headache 2. Most effective for chronic pain 3. Do not apply heat treatments directly to skin

Types of Non-pharmacological pain relief interventions

1. Relaxation and Guided Imagery 2. Distraction 3. Music 4. Cutaneous Stimulation

What type of pain is TENS is effective for?

1. acute 2. emergent 3. postsurgical and procedural pain control

Types of Distraction techniques for pain

1. singing 2. praying 3. listening to music 4. playing games

What is TENS

1. transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation 2. Involves stimulation of the skin with a mild electrical current passed through external electrodes 3. works both peripherally and centrally

Non-pharmacological pain relief interventions, when to use or NOT use.

1. useful for patients who cannot tolerate pain medications 2. those who wish to reduce multiple medications 3. those who are seeking alternative methods of relieving chronic pain 4. In a case of acute pain, they should NEVER be used in place of pharmacological therapies

Some physiological results of Relaxation

1.decreased pulse, blood pressure, and respirations and oxygen consumption 2. heightened awareness 3. sense of peace 4. decreased muscle tension and metabolic rate

Tens Central Physiology Process

Activating sites in the spinal cord and brainstem that use opioid and serotonin receptors

Define Relaxation and Guided Imagery

Creates mental and physical freedom from tension or stress that provides individuals a sense of self-control Can be used at any phase of health or illness

Define distraction

Directs a patient's attention to something other than pain which reduces awareness of it Works best for short, intense pain lasting a few minutes

Herbals used by patient caution

May interact with prescribed analgesics; thus it is important to ask patients to report to their health care provider all of the substances they take to relieve pain

Tens Peripheral Physiology Process

Produces analgesia

Types of Cutaneous Stimulation that contribute to pain reduction

Stimulation of the skin through a massage Cold and heat application TENS

Define Music's contribution to pain reduction

Useful in treating acute or chronic pain, stress, anxiety, and depression Evidence shows that music may decrease the use of analgesics in some postoperative patients