The Significance of Holistic Pain Management

1. explain the importance of a holistic approach to managing pain and discomfort

It is important that we take into consideration, areas other than physical pain and have a holistic approach. Pain is whatever the person who is suffering it feels it to be. Physical pain can be experienced as a result of disease or injury, or some other form of bodily distress. Pain can also be social, emotional and spiritual as well as just physical.

Having a personalised and holistic approach to a person’s pain and discomfort needs good teamwork.

E.g. Nurses and care workers may be able to help to support the person with physical pain. By using effective communication skills verbal and non-verbal, including active listening will help to support people holistically. Supporting people is looking at the person as a whole, and considering all of their needs

Holistic care aims to take care of the whole person - not only the physical needs (i.e. pain what they are suffering from) of the patient but also their mental & emotional needs (i.

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e. afraid, not knowing what`s wrong), their social needs (i.e. worrying about money, bills, or how supporting family) and spiritual needs (i.e. feelings of anger or guilt).

Using a holistic approach is important because it gets to the root of the problem, the reason you are having pain to begin with. Pain may be coming from another part of the body.

Conventional medicine, alternative and complementary therapies can be used as options to relieve pain and other symptoms if desired.

Care plan is individualized and tailor-made for the service users which support their lifestyle and culture. The individuals and their family members are consulted and their wishes respected as far as possible in the care process.

The purpose is to bring comfort, dignity and peace to the clients as well as support to their family members

2. Describe different approaches to alleviate pain and minimise discomfort

Repositioning individuals and adjustments to bedding, heating, lighting or noise can also be a factor and the use of specialised mattresses such as air mattresses and equipment and pressure reducing aids can help to alleviate pain.

There are many options to minimise discomfort such as:
Doctors most often use conventional methods such as drugs.

Physiotherapists rely on physical means of treatment such as; massages, electrical therapies, hot or cold packs Complementary therapists use methods such as: acupuncture, herbal medication, aromatherapy or chiropractic. Aromatherapy, homeopathic medicine, reflexology, yoga – these therapies should be used only where care professional agrees with the beneficial effects. Relieving anxiety by talking to therapies.

Using drugs such as analgesics (paracetamol), opiates (morphine), anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen). Using physical methods like hot water bottle, massage, cooling with ice, repositioning. Self-help methods such as walking around or taking other exercises, having a chat or doing something else to distract from pain.

3. Outline agreed ways of working that relate to managing pain and discomfort

The individual needed to be assessed, as every kind of pain relief can be harmful, care plan and policies and procedures always have to be followed and necessary precautions have to be taken. We have to follow agreed ways including

Homes policies for pain management.
Prescribed medication- via GP
Homely remedies
Practical measures from Health care assistance i.e. changing positions of individuals etc.

212.2 BE ABLE TO ASSIST IN MINIMISING INDIVIDUALS PAIN OR DISCOMFORT 2.1 Describe how pain and discomfort may affect an individual’s wellbeing and communication

Severe pain or discomfort could have the ability to totally transform a person. It can affect the way a person eats and drinks, ie, difficulty in swallowing, it can cause frustration and unreasonable behaviour in a person who is normally calm and in control, it could also make resting, relaxing and sleeping difficult, leading a person to feeling stressed and suffering from insomnia, it could also, in some cases, lead to other medical conditions, such as depression.

How a person interacts with others might also be a further consideration, in that they might find talking difficult, or they could become irritable and prone to sudden mood swings. Something else which should be considered is the sufferers ability to work and care for their family, if they are unable to do this, it might make them more reliable on others, which in turn could affect their whole well-being. Pain can effect individual’s communication so it is therefore important to observe their behaviour for signs of pain.