Individual differences in pain: understanding the mosaic that makes pain personal

Abstract

The experience of pain is characterized by tremendous inter-individual variability. Multiple biological and psychosocial variables contribute to these individual differences in pain, including demographic variables, genetic factors, and psychosocial processes. For example, sex, age and ethnic group differences in the prevalence of chronic pain conditions have been widely reported. Moreover, these demographic factors have been associated with responses to experimentally-induced pain. Similarly, both genetic and psychosocial factors contribute to clinical and experimental pain responses. Importantly, these different biopsychosocial influences interact with each other in complex ways to sculpt the experience of pain. Some genetic associations with pain have been found to vary across sex and ethnic group. Moreover, genetic factors also interact with psychosocial factors, including stress and pain catastrophizing, to influence pain. The individual and combined influences of these biological and psychosocial variables results in a unique mosaic of factors that contributes pain in each individual. Understanding these mosaics is critically important in order to provide optimal pain treatment, and future research to further elucidate the nature of these biopsychosocial interactions is needed in order to provide more informed and personalized pain care.

Experiences of the older hospitalised person on nursing pain care: An ethnographic insight

“…The older hospitalised person with unrelieved pain will have a worsening of their cognitive status, increased depression, more comorbidities and a longer length of stay (Corsi et al, 2018). Fillingim (2017) has noted a gradual increase in the awareness of the effects of under-treatment of pain for the older person; this finding was considered to contribute to greater recognition of pain management in this population group. Additionally, Tavernier et al (2018) identified the organisational context in which nurse-led pain care provision was provided would act as either a barrier or a facilitator in relation to pain care provision.…”

“…(Herr, Coyne, McCaffery, Manworren, & Merkel, 2011). Although self-report is the gold standard, for those unable to communicate, a glimpse may be gained into their experiences by observations of their behaviour (Fillingim, 2017). A person's individual response to pain can be expressed nonverbally as a behaviour such as a change in facial expression or body movement, and this will be influenced by social, cultural and psychological factors .…”

“…A person's individual response to pain can be expressed nonverbally as a behaviour such as a change in facial expression or body movement, and this will be influenced by social, cultural and psychological factors . Similarly, there will be multifactorial contributions to the older persons' pain experiences in relation to the context and environment of care (Fillingim, 2017). Older adults continue to receive suboptimal pain management in the acute care setting (Brown & McCormack, 2006;Harmon, Higgins, Summons, & Bellchambers, 2012;Hwang et al, 2014).…”

Meta-Analysis of Integrated Therapeutic Methods in Noninvasive Lower Back Pain Therapy (LBP): The Role of Interdisciplinary Functional Diagnostics

“…In addition to education on rest and physical activity, neurophysiological education is very important. is is a cognitive-behavioural intervention to provide knowledge of neurophysiology and neuroscience of pain in order to change beliefs about illness, disability, and above all adaptation to pain [53][54][55]. e management should differentiate the origin of pain, both in terms of mechanical (motor) stimulus and the protective (nociceptive) mechanism [56][57][58][59][60].…”

Kvinner og menn oppfatter smerte ulikt – hva innebærer det for måling?

“…I tillegg kan også psykiske og sosiokulturelle forhold forklare kjønnsforskjeller relatert til smerte (6). Jenter og gutter vokser opp med ulike forventninger til smerte: Ofte føler jenter seg mer frie til å gråte om de utsettes for skade, mens gutter gjerne føler et ekstra sosialt press for å holde tilbake tårene.…”