Articles: pain-measurement.
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The present exploratory study measured pain and tactile thresholds in response to mechanical stimulation of the hand before labor, during labor, and after parturition in women. In women who had Lamaze childbirth preparation (but not in women who did not have childbirth preparation), pain thresholds were significantly higher during labor (determined up to 8 cm cervical dilatation) than prior to labor and 24 hours postpartum. ⋯ These findings support earlier findings in this laboratory that vaginocervical mechanostimulation elevated pain thresholds in human and animal subjects, and more recent findings that pain thresholds increased in rats during delivery of individual young. The present findings suggest that an endogenous process that attenuates the pain of parturition is activated when the cervix dilates during labor.
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The Hospice journal · Jan 1990
Cancer pain intensity measurement: concurrent validity of three tools--finger dynamometer, pain intensity number scale, visual analogue scale.
Although the visual analogue scale (VAS) and number scales are known to be valid and sensitive measures of pain intensity, some older individuals are unable to use them. For individuals who lack the ability to use these scales, valid alternative measures of pain intensity would be useful for research and clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to examine the concurrent validity of a new measure of pain intensity, the Finger Dynamometer (FD), in a sample of 15 adults with advanced stage cancer pain. ⋯ Strong correlation was found between the VAS and the PINS (gamma = .77 to .89; p less than .001). Findings support the concurrent validity of the VAS and the PINS but indicate that further research is necessary to establish the psychometric properties of the FD as a measure of pain intensity in chronic pain models, such as cancer pain. Recommendations are made regarding important variables to be considered in further research with the FD.
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Social science & medicine · Jan 1990
Are physicians' ratings of pain affected by patients' physical attractiveness?
The degree to which physical attractiveness and nonverbal expressions of pain influence physicians' perceptions of pain was investigated. Photographs of eight female university students were represented in four experimental conditions created by the manipulation of cosmetics, hairstyles, and facial expressions: (a) attractive-no pain, (b) attractive-pain, (c) unattractive-no pain, and (d) unattractive-pain. Each photograph was accompanied by a brief description of the patient's pain problem that was standard across conditions. ⋯ Unattractive patients, and patients who were expressing pain, were perceived as experiencing more pain, distress, and negative affective experiences than attractive patients and patients who were not expressing pain. Unattractive patients also received higher ratings of solicitude on the doctor's part and lower ratings of health than attractive patients. Physician's assessments of pain appear to be influenced by the physical attractiveness of the patient.
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This study dealt with the validity and correlates of facial expressions of pain. Twenty-four patients seeking treatment for gleno-humeral joint pain and 12 controls underwent a standardized physiotherapy assessment protocol involving active and passive arm movements, and experimental pain induced by pressure. Subjects rated pain intensity on each trial using categorical, sensory and affective scales. ⋯ Greater physical disability was associated with more intense pain actions on active, but not passive, tests. The results support the validity and generality of facial measures of pain, show that they yield graded sensitive information and suggest that they encode information about the psychosocial context of pain problems. Theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
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Much recent attention has focused on the development and refinement of pain measures, as well as on the use of more effective pain control methods for infants, children, and adolescents. This article reviews the primary categories of pediatric pain measures, with a specific focus on the selection of the most appropriate behavioral, physiologic, or subjective method for assessing a child's pain. The optimum pain measure depends on the age and cognitive level of a child, the type of pain experienced, and the situation in which the pain occurs. While no single measure is adequate for all children for all types of acute, recurrent, and chronic pain, it is possible to choose practical, valid, and reliable methods for evaluating any child's pain experience.