Psychological aspects of pain

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2007:44 Suppl 1:321-6. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2007.01.042.

Abstract

The patients affected by critical limb ischemia (CLI) are patients generally considered difficult cases, destined to repeated approach to the sanitary structures. They are patients affected by many pathologies since years, that they know to be potentially lethal often have already faced many interventions, with partial and not long-lasting benefits, they go from one specialist to another and sometimes they entrust themselves to alternative medicine. Physicians have to take in charge not the pathology but to take in charge the patient. For the control of the pain it turns out essential, near the block of the perception of the pain, to act with psychological participation, in order to interfere with the perception of the pain and the meant one of the pain, modify the feelings associated to the pain, modify the behavior induced by pain.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Depression / epidemiology
  • Depression / psychology
  • Extremities / blood supply
  • Humans
  • Ischemia / physiopathology
  • Pain / epidemiology*
  • Pain / psychology*
  • Peripheral Vascular Diseases / epidemiology