Chapter 34

Front 4

acute pain:

Back 4

episode of pain that lasts from seconds to less than 6 months

Front 5

addiction:

Back 5

a pattern of compulsive use of addictive substances for means other than those prescribed

Front 6

adjuvant:

Back 6

drugs typically used for other purposes, but also used to enhance the effect of opioids by providing additional pain relief

Front 7

breakthrough pain:

Back 7

temporary flare-up of moderate to severe pain that occurs even when the patient is taking around-the-clock medication for persistent pain

Front 8

chronic pain:

Back 8

episode of pain that lasts for 6 months or longer; may be intermittent or continuous

Front 9

cutaneous pain:

Back 9

superficial pain usually involving the skin or subcutaneous tissue

Front 10

dynorphin:

Back 10

the endorphin having the most potent analgesic effect

Front 11

endorphins:

Back 11

morphine-like substances released by the body that appear to alter the perception of pain

Front 12

enkephalins:

Back 12

opioids that are widespread throughout the brain and dorsal horn of the spinal cord and are believed to reduce pain sensation by inhibiting the release of substance P

Front 13

ethnocentrism:

Back 13

belief that one’s own ideas, beliefs, and practices are best, superior, or most preferred to those of others; using one’s cultural norms as the standard to evaluate others’ beliefs

Front 14

exacerbation:

Back 14

period in chronic illness when the symptoms of the disease reappear

Front 15

gate control theory:

Back 15

theory that explains that excitatory pain stimuli carried by small-diameter nerve fibers can be blocked by inhibiting signals carried by large-diameter nerve fibers

Front 16

intractable:

Back 16

severe pain that is extremely resistant to relief measures

Front 17

modulation:

Back 17

process by which the sensation of pain is inhibited or modified

Front 18

neuromodulators:

Back 18

endogenous opioid chemical regulators that appear to have analgesic activity and alter pain perception

Front 19

neuropathic pain:

Back 19

pain that results as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting abnormal functioning of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) or central nervous system (CNS)

Front 20

neurotransmitters:

Back 20

substances that either excite or inhibit target nerve cells

Front 21

nociceptors:

Back 21

pain receptors

Front 22

nociceptive pain:

Back 22

pain from a normal process that results in noxious stimuli being perceived as painful

Front 23

opioid:

Back 23

more correct term for narcotic analgesics, since these drugs act by binding to opiate receptor sites in the central nervous system

Front 24

pain threshold:

Back 24

amount of stimulation required before a person experiences the sensation of pain

Front 25

pain tolerance:

Back 25

point beyond which a person is no longer willing to endure pain (i.e., pain of greater duration or intensity)

Front 26

perception:

Back 26

conscious process of organizing and interpreting data from the senses into meaningful information

Front 27

phantom pain:

Back 27

sensation of pain without demonstrable physiologic or pathologic substance; commonly observed after the amputation of a limb

Front 28

physical dependence:

Back 28

phenomenon in which the body physiologically becomes accustomed to an opioid and suffers withdrawal symptoms if the opioid is suddenly removed or the dose is rapidly decreased

Front 29

placebo:

Back 29

Latin word meaning, “I shall please”; an inactive substance that gives satisfaction to the person using it

Front 30

psychogenic pain:

Back 30

pain for which no physical cause can be identified

Front 31

referred pain:

Back 31

pain in an area removed from that in which stimulation has its origin

Front 32

remission:

Back 32

period in a chronic illness when the disease is present, but the person does not experience symptoms of the disease

Front 33

somatic pain:

Back 33

pain originating in structures in the body’s external wall

Front 34

tolerance:

Back 34

occurrence of the body’s becoming accustomed to an opioid and needing a larger dose each time for pain relief

Front 35

transduction:

Back 35

activation of pain receptors

Front 36

transmission:

Back 36

conduction of pain sensations from the site of an injury or inflammation along clear and unclear pathways to the spinal cord and then on to higher centers

Front 37

visceral pain:

Back 37

pain originating in the internal organs in the thorax, cranium, or abdomen