“Ouch!” A common phrase everyone uses at some point to express pain.
Whether you’ve just stubbed your toe, are struggling to overcome a nasty migraine, or burned your finger as you removed your favourite dish from the oven – it’s always, “ouch!”
But what is pain?
The concept of pain was the topic of discussion during the latest instalment of UCT’s inaugural lecture series presented by Professor Romy Parker.
Her lecture was titled “Pain management to reduce suffering in South Africa – integrating interdisciplinary research into the health-care professions”.
Parker noted that one in every five South Africans were living with pain and patients commonly sought assistance at primary health-care level because of it.
But what could be done to support patients with pain?
Parker said health-care workers could make the difference.
“If pain is about threat, then treatment is in everyone’s scope of practice,” Parker said.
She noted that engaging with patients on an emotional, psychological, cultural and religious level was step one.
And rather than using the biopsychosocial model in their work, she suggested health-care workers adopt the sociopsychobiological model and think about people and contexts first.
“Pain stops your thinking, it stops you from doing, and stops you from engaging. But it doesn’t just interrupt you in that way, it interrupts your physiology in multiple ways. People with severe post-operative pain are more likely to suffer from a whole range of complications post-procedure, like infections, delay in wound healing and depression.
“Pain interrupts us as human beings. It interrupts our relationships; it interrupts our meaningful life roles; it interrupts our joy,” Parker said.
Cape Times