Case Study: Acute Pain and Work: Riley's Struggle in the Hospital

The main issues discussed in the case study is all about the effects of the acute pain that Riley is undergoing. Despite the acuteness of the pain, He endures the problem as his work for his patients in the hospital. The pain does not allow him to move, lean on the patient's bed, or even take notes for his patients as the condition increases under such circumstances. Besides, Riley fails to get enough sleep as a result of the long working hours in the hospital, completing the records of the patients. He does not even eat well because of the pressure and pain. These problems discussed in the case study are what deprives the comfort of Riley in his medical profession.

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Just as in the case of Riley, acute pain is mainly experienced not only as of the discomfort associated with the body but also fears regarding the work impairment, future, threats to the bonds of the family as well as activities and even assaults on the priorities of one's life (Matthews, 2010). How one reacts to any physical symptoms is directly dependent on his or her experience in the past with the personality, illness, styles of coping, current interpersonal interactions, and familial as well as cultural norms. How symptoms are perceived, and their respective attributions have a powerful influence on the subsequent duration and the intensity, the nature, and the degree of help-seeking behavior and also in case one comes to view himself or herself as impaired, sick, and deserving of the disability benefits.

Various possible explanations can be attached for the possible cause of the said acute pain, as is the case of Riley described in the case study. Basing on research, there is no clear relation between the degree of discomfort or even functional disability and the amount of tissue damage (Matthews, 2010). The pain's nature, together with its underlying physiological factors, affects the course from acute pain chronic pain and finally to disability in terms of functionality (Matthews, 2010). The central variability in individual behavior, regardless of the symptoms and pathophysiological processes' similarity, gives a reflection on the major differences in the cognitive as well as psychological predispositions and the prevailing norms attached to the culture.

The meaning attribution about the cause and the likely symptoms outcome if influenced by a host of cultural as well as the psychological factors. Relegating significance to indications can be a cognizant procedure that assists individuals with organizing the experience, or it might happen outside of mindfulness (Hansen, 2005). An individual's report of manifestations reflects the idea of the experience as well as its importance to that individual. Therefore, in general sense, some of the common possible causes of abdominal pain include; gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), gallbladder disease, pancreatitis, as well as small obstruction of the bowel (Hansen, 2005). Appendicitis is well known to be one of the most common causes of abdominal related pain.

Any patient suffering subjected to an accident, personal suffering, sickness of the regular presence of pain as depicted in the case study have an impact on the subsequent illness behavior and aids in ordering the experience in several means. To begin with, the meaning is related to a feeling of lucidness. Patients try to grasp why a mishap or ailment has happened and what effect it has had and will have later on. Causal attributions are framed by patients to represent current sad conditions. These details shape the importance of the circumstance and can open or close alternatives for effectively managing it or the emotions it inspires.

The psychological theory that can be associated with Riley's case is the behaviorism theory. This theory depicts that human psychology can be objectively studied through observable behaviors or actions other than the feelings or thoughts which cannot be observed (Berlyne, 2008). In this case, during the classical conditioning, human being learns on the way to associate two stimuli together. Therefore, such conditioning type incorporates involuntary responses, such as emotional or biological responses. In operant conditioning, one tries to learn a behavior that is associated with the consequences (Berlyne, 2008). This is possible through punishment or reinforcement, which can be either negative or positive. Just like in the case of Riley, behaviorism mainly emerged as a reaction to mentalism. In behavioral theory, the mentalism case is where the mind is studied by analogy as well as an examination of one's feelings and thoughts, which in psychology is referred to as introspection (Berlyne, 2008). The behaviorism theory is important to Riley's case of acute pain since, through his certain behavior, he can understand the circumstance of the pain's occurrence. The sharp pain comes in when he is moving and does not allow him to bend when he is taking notes for his patients. Therefore, through the psychological theory, he consults his colleagues after he realized the pain's persistence.

Another psychological theory that could be significant to Jake's situation is the functionalist theory. This theory incorporates the doctrinal statement that what makes something e.g., a thought, pain, or desire is directly dependent on the internal constitution, but solely on the role it plays or its function in the cognitive system of which it is a part (Richardson, 2014). The functionalist theory may characterize pain as a state which can be caused as a result of injury of the body producing the belief that there exists something wrong with the body as well as the desire for the production of anxiety and the conflicting desires which cause moaning or wincing (Richardson, 2014). According to the theory, humans might be undergoing pain due to the stimulation of C-fiber. This theory is significant to Jake's case of acute pain since it is through the body system not functioning as it should due to the impact of the common pain in the body.

Bates, C. M., & Plevris, J. N. (2013). Clinical evaluation of abdominal pain in adults. Medicine, 41(2), 81-86.

According to the author of the article, the abdominal pain is well known to be a common presentation to the acute medical unit. A patient, in this case, may have a poorly localized pain and give a wide diagnosis case, examinations, as well as a comprehensive history, is critical (Bates, 2013). In the article, it is portrayed that linking the pain with the anatomical abdominal pain's location is vital in the establishment of a genuine differential diagnosis. In this case, therefore, the immediate goal is to identify acute abdominal conditions that are life-threatening potentially (Bates, 2013). That needs quick investigation as well as early surgical intervention. Also, the article provides a summary of different types of abdominal pain together with their psychology, which is linked to the main questions as well as the vital physical findings in the examinations giving etiological clues on the acute pain (Bates, 2013). The articles reveal the cases which are more applicable to the case of Jake in his experience of the acute pain in the abdomen.

Hansen, G. R., & Streltzer, J. (2005). The psychology of pain. Emergency Medicine Clinics, 23(2), 339-348.

The article's authors reveal that pain is far more than just a mere sensation. The evaluative, as well as the components of pain which are evaluative, are normally important as the transmission and transmission of the pain signal (Hansen, 2005). From the article, the pain can thus be viewed as a 'signal' that there is something wrong somewhere within the body until it is detected by the brain where the said signal is interpreted as the pain. The knowledge of the psychological pain is essential as it can significantly improve on the treatment of any acute pain (Hansen, 2005). The authors in this article reveal that acute pain is highly dependent on the basic content of its occurrence. Hence, the fear, anxiety as well as a sense of the loss of control which contributes to the suffering of the patient. As is in the case of Riley, he has been so anxious to understand the root cause of his acute pain in the abdomen by enduring his pain while working (Hansen, 2005). According to the interpretation given in the article, treatment of the anxiety and provision of psychological support has been depicted to improve the pain while reducing the use of analgesics.

References

Bates, C. M., & Plevris, J. N. (2013). Clinical evaluation of abdominal pain in adults. Medicine, 41(2), 81-86. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1357303912002745

Berlyne, D. E. (2008). Behaviourism? Cognitive theory? Humanistic psychology? To Hull with them all. Canadian Psychological Review/Psychologie canadienne, 16(2), 69. Retrieved from http://www.richardsonthebrain.com/behavioral-theories

Hansen, G. R., & Streltzer, J. (2005). The psychology of pain. Emergency Medicine Clinics, 23(2), 339-348. Retrieved from http://williams.medicine.wisc.edu/painpsychology.pdf

Matthews, P. J., & Aziz, Q. (2010). Functional abdominal pain. Postgraduate medical journal, 81(957), 448-455. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219238/

Richardson, R. C. (2014). Functionalism and reductionism. Philosophy of Science, 46(4), 533-558. Retrieved from https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/288895