6.3 Pain

2026 📋 Syllabus Objectives

By the end of these notes, you should be able to:

  1. Describe the types and theories of pain — including acute pain, chronic pain, phantom limb pain, specificity theory, and gate control theory.
  2. Explain how pain is measured — including subjective methods (McGill Pain Questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scale), behavioural methods (UAB Pain Behaviour Scale), and the key study by Brudvik et al. (2016).
  3. Describe methods for managing and controlling pain — including biochemical strategies, cognitive strategies, and alternative treatments such as acupuncture and TENS.

📖 Section 1: Types and Theories of Pain

https://cambridgeassistant.com

What Is Pain?

Pain is an unpleasant physical and emotional experience that tells the body something may be wrong. It is your body's warning system — like an alarm that goes off when tissue (body cells) is damaged or threatened. Pain is both physical (felt in the body) and psychological (how your mind processes and responds to it).

Types of Pain

1. Acute Pain

  • Acute pain is pain that starts suddenly and lasts for a short period of time — usually less than three to six months.
  • It is caused by a clear, identifiable reason, such as a cut, a broken bone, surgery, or a burn.
  • Once the injury heals, the pain goes away.
  • Think of it as a useful kind of pain — it warns you that your body is being harmed so you can take action (e.g. pulling your hand away from a hot surface).
  • Example: The sharp pain you feel when you twist your ankle.

2. Chronic Pain

  • Chronic pain is pain that lasts for a long time — typically more than three to six months — even after the original injury has healed, or sometimes with no clear physical cause.
  • It is not just a warning signal anymore; it becomes a long-term condition that affects a person's daily life, mood, and mental health.
  • Chronic pain is often harder to treat than acute pain.
  • Example: Back pain that persists for years, or pain from conditions like arthritis (a disease that causes joint inflammation).

3. Phantom Limb Pain

  • Phantom limb pain is a type of pain experienced in a body part that no longer exists — for example, in an arm or leg that has been amputated (surgically removed).
  • The person feels real pain (burning, shooting, cramping sensations) in the missing limb.
  • This happens because the brain and nervous system still have a "map" of the missing limb and continue to send pain signals as if it were still there.
  • This type of pain is important because it shows us that pain is not only about physical damage — it is also created and processed by the brain.
  • Example: A person whose leg was amputated may still feel their toes cramping.

Sign in to view full notes