BC ILMNG 401 Assignment: Variations in Health IV

Purpose:

To recognize and understand the effects of culture on pain perception, responses and management.

1. Describe the different natures of pain (physical, emotional, etc.)
2. Describe the relationship between ethnic background and pain.
3. Discuss ethnic differences in pain perception and pain responses
4. Explain how a nurse’s own culture, personal bias, values and beliefs may alter the interpretation of patients’ pain experience .
5. What might some variations be in assessment of pain when caring for the ethnic group you chose? What are the verbal cues? What are the non-verbal cues?
6. Which pain assessment tool would you use? Why?
7. What might some variations of nursing interventions be in management of pain when caring for the ethnic group you chose? Pharmaceutical: Traditional? Alternative? Inter professional?

Introduction

Pain has been identified as the one of the most common reason of seeking health care service by the consumers. As defined by Spencer & Burke, (2011) pain is associated with actual or potential damage that leads to unpleasant emotional and sensory experience. On the other hand, pain could arise due to the effect of any disease, diagnostic test and treatment as well. For example, patient with survivorship of cancer has been found to live with chronic pain. Another example, includes the patient with sickle cell disease (Kwok & Bhuvanakrishna, 2014). Fabian et al., (2011) has reported that patients with chronic pain may suffer from stigmas due to the analgesic doses that are required to manage pain. In addition, in the ever changing society the cultural influence on pain cannot be ignored. For example the pain associated with end of life or death is shaped by the cultural beliefs of individual. Such experience of pain impact on the daily activity, work and relationship as well (Campbell & Edwards, 2012). Hence it is important to understand the factors associated with pain to identify different aspects of pain management. This assignment aims to identify the impact of culture on the perception, response and management of pain. In this regards, Punjabi culture has been selected for research and to discuss about the cultural influence on pain and its management.

Discussion

As defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain, pain is an unpleasant physical and emotional sensation (iasp-pain.org, 2018). On the other hand Campbell & Edwards, (2012) has described that pain is one of the most common incident for which people seek health care service and it affects both the physical and psychological health of individual. Furthermore, Spencer & Burke, (2011) has described that pain is considered as both the unpleasant physical sensation caused by disease or injury and emotional suffering due to mental distress. Hence, the all of the discussed definition of pain has highlighted that the experience of pain is not just a triggering response to damage but also associated with emotional aspect of individual. The physical pain may be occur due to physical damage such as injury. In addition, various disease, diagnosis and treatment are also responsible for the consequence of pain. For example, disease such as tumour and cancer could lead to the consequence of nerve pain. On the other hand, treatment of cancer such as chemotherapy is also associated with pain. Such physical pain can be classified into two categories such as acute pain and chronic pain (Fabian et al., 2011).

Acute pain is directly associated with damage of tissue and it remains for less than 3 months or pain that is associated with soft tissue damage. Such acute pain can be treated with analgesic or relaxation technique and other medical management (Gélinas et al., 2017). Whereas chronic pain is more sharp and severe and it remains for more than 3 to 6 months which may impact on the daily activity and mental health of individual. It is important to access treatment for acute pain otherwise, untreated acute pain may increase the risk of suffering from chronic pain. Treatment of chronic pain needs more attention and specific medical approaches such as special therapies (Spencer & Burke, 2011). On the other hand the emotional nature of pain may associated with situation such as end of life or death of loved ones and relatives (Kwok & Bhuvanakrishna, 2014). Further, it has been found that, physical pain is also linked with emotional aspects. For example, Campbell & Edwards, (2012) have informed that prolong suffering from pain may results in depression and anxiety, in contrast, suffering from mental distress may increase the healing time.

Multidimensional constructs of pain has been identified which indicated that, besides physical and psychological aspects, a relationship between perception of pain and pain management and ethnicity is also present (Kwok & Bhuvanakrishna, 2014). The perception regarding pain is shaped by the cultural background of individual and the impact of culture on pain varies according to ethnicity and demography. For example, the systematic review of Fabian et al., (2011) has indicated that sensitivity to pain is greater for African Americans as compare to the Caucasians and higher level of pain and disability is also identified for African Americans as compare to the Caucasians. Such findings has indicated the possible relationship between ethnicity and pain with evidence. Additionally, one’s way to cope up with pain is also influenced by his/her cultural and ethnic factors. For example, using turmeric in order to relief pain is also associated with cultural belief of Asian population (Campbell & Edwards, 2012). Furthermore, pain management is also influenced by cultural and ethical background as well. For example, Spencer & Burke, (2011)  have demonstrated in their study that, in Arabic heritage, pain is expressed to the family members but not to the health professionals which creates conflict regarding the perceptions about the pain relief of the patient. In addition, they prefer same sex care giver in order to reduce the cultural discomfort. In comparison, the people belonging to Mexican heritage believes on visual pain assessment and bilingual scale assessment.

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