In recognition of pain awareness month, we wanted to highlight the different types of pain that people can experience.
Pain is a common symptom for patients with end-stage and complex disease processes. Pain can be simply described as a sensation that hurts enough to make you uncomfortable. People feel and react to these sensations differently. When reporting pain, it’s important to provide as much detail as possible to allow for the best treatment.
It’s important to understand that not all pain is physical. People may also suffer from emotional or spiritual pain. Some emotional or spiritual pain may have physical symptoms making treating this type of pain more complicated. Some causes of emotional and spiritual pain may include anxiety, fear of suffering, fear of the future, grief and loss and spiritual unrest. Speaking to a counselor or spiritual caregiver may help to identify and better treat this pain.
Social pain can also impact how someone experiences pain and is part of the Total Pain Concept. In 1964, Dame Cicely Saunders introduced this concept which is now widely used by hospices across the world. By using the Total Pain Concept model, your care team can better identify, assess, treat and manage pain, regardless of how it presents. People may experience more of one type of pain than others, but treatment can be targeted to include all types of pain. This may include a combination of treatments and therapies to ensure comfort.
Our team of experts will help identify your pain and address it through various approaches from medications to in-depth conversations.