Factors Associated with Greater Pain Intensity

Mariano E Menendez; David Ring

doi:10.1016/j.hcl.2015.08.004

Factors Associated with Greater Pain Intensity

Hand Clin. 2016 Feb;32(1):27-31. doi: 10.1016/j.hcl.2015.08.004.

Authors

Mariano E Menendez¹, David Ring²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Yawkey Center, Suite 2100, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
² Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Yawkey Center, Suite 2100, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address: dring@partners.org.

PMID: 26611386
DOI: 10.1016/j.hcl.2015.08.004

Abstract

The intensity of pain reported for a given nociception is highly variable. Variation in pain intensity is best accounted for by stress, distress, and ineffective coping strategies. Among orthopedic surgery patients, greater intake of opioids is associated with greater pain intensity and decreased satisfaction with pain control, no matter the pathophysiology or nociception. The single most effective pain reliever is self-efficacy (the sense that one can manage and that everything will be okay).

Keywords: Illness; Impairment; Magnitude of disability; Nociception; Pain intensity; Pathophysiology.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adaptation, Psychological
Hand / physiopathology*
Hand / surgery
Humans
Nociception / physiology*
Pain Management / methods*
Pain Management / psychology*
Pain Measurement / methods*
Pain Measurement / psychology*
Self Efficacy*