|
Because pain has such a strong
perceptual dimension, we can use numerous psychological strategies to effectively manage
pain. These include providing accurate information on what can be expected, both in terms
of procedure and sensation (see Fielding, 1995) for potentially painful procedures,
providing adequate analgesia or anaesthesia as required, increasing the patient’s sense
of control over their pain by allowing control over analgesia administration, distraction,
relaxation, cognitive restructuring and hypnosis, amongst others. |