Health Psychology [ch. 7-8] – Flashcards
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How does the sensation of pain travel?
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Sense receptors located on the surface of the body turn physical energy into neural impulses. These neural impulses can travel to the peripheral nervous system toward the spinal cord and brain.
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Which system conveys sensory information from the body to the brain?
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The spinal cord.
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What types of neurons carry nerve impulses away from the brain and toward the muscles?
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Afferent neurons.
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What are the chemicals that carry information between nerves?
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Neurotransmitters.
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Which neurochemicals help modulate, or lessen, the experience of pain?
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1.) Endorphins 2.) Enkephalins 3.) Dynorphin
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What brain structure contains a representation of the skin's surface?
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Somatosensory cortex
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Pain is usually defined as _______________
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unpleasant feeling caused by illness or injury
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What are the different types of pain?
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1.) Acute pain - normally brief from a cut, burn, injury; adaptive in that it signals the person to avoid further injury 2.) Chronic pain - endures over months; no adaptive reason or biological benefit 3.) Pre-chronic pain - occurs between acute and chronic pain 4.) Chronic recurrent pain - when there are alternating episodes of intense pain and no pain
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What is the relationship between culture and pain?
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There are differences in pain perception by culture. For example, African Americans and Hispanic Americans show higher sensitivity to pain than European Americans.
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Which methods have been used to measure pain?
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1.) Self-report ratings 2.) Behavioral assessments 3.) Physiological measures (e.g. heart rate, EMG, etc.)
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When it comes to pain drugs, what are tolerance and dependence?
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Tolerance - needing more of the drug to produce the same effect. Dependence - the need to have more of a drug in order to stave off withdrawal effects.
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What is the relationship between the tendency to catastrophize and pain?
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Those with a higher tendency to catastrophize may have intensified acute and chronic pain.
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What has cognitive behavioral therapy been shown to be effective in relieving pain for?
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CBT is a type of therapy aimed at developing beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, and skills to make positive changes in behavior. One form of it is called acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) which encourages acceptance of pain by focusing attention on other valuable goals and activities. CBT has been shown to be effective in relieving pain for: - Low back pain - Headache pain and prevention - Fibromyalgia - Rheumatoid arthritis - Cancer & AIDS pain - Chronic pain
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What are traditional medical procedures used in pain management?
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1.) Drugs 2.) Surgery
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When it comes to pain, what has relaxation training been used successfully to treat?
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It was used successfully to treat tension and migraine headaches, rheumatoid arthritis, and low back pain.
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In relation to pain, what are behavior modification techniques?
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Behavior modification is a process of shaping behavior through the application of operant conditioning principles - Goal - shape behavior (e.g., complaining, moaning, sighing, limping, etc.) - Removal of reinforcers that may have been prompting "pain traps" (i.e., reward values such as attention, sympathy, financial compensation, etc.) - Has been effective in decreasing pain intensity and improving quality of life
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Alternative medicine is an alternative to what?
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Mainstream medicine.
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What is complementary medicine?
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A conceptualization of medicine that differs from the mainstream.
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According to traditional Chinese medicine, what happens when the qi is blocked or becomes stagnant?
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Poor health and disease may develop.
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What is acupuncture?
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The insertion of needles into specific points of the body.
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Where has Ayurvedic medicine originated?
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India.
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The goal of Ayurvedic medicine is to integrate and balance what?
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Body, mind, and spirit.
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What do all alternative medical systems have in common?
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They hold the view that bodies have the power to maintain and return to a state of health.
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What is the main limitation on the use of CHA?
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1.) Lack of information on their effectiveness 2.) Natural products are not regulated 3.) Natural products may carry risk of adverse reactions and interactions with other OTC drugs 4.) People may use CHAs and not more effective traditional treatments 5.) CHAs are not usually covered under insurance, so may be expensive
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What is chiropractic treatment?
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Treatment includes performing adjustments to the spine and joints to correct misalignments.
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Which alternative treatment is most likely to be covered by insurance plans in the United States?
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Chiropractic medicine.
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What are the basic aspects of traditional Chinese medicine?
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-Remains a major approach to medicine in Asian countries -Belief that a vital force ("qi" or "chi") animates the entire body and flows throughout the body -When this force is blocked, health and disease can develop -Keeping the force in balance is important in maintaining health
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The notion that the mind and body form a holistic system of dynamic interaction characterizes which approach?
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Mind-body medicine.
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What is Qi gong?
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The movement-based practices of qi gong and tai chi originated in traditional Chinese medicine. Qi gong and tai chi involve postures and movements that are intended to balance the body's energy and restore health. Both promote relaxation, flexibility, and balance
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What is Biofeedback?
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The process of providing feedback information about the status of biological systems.
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What are mindfulness meditation and transcendental meditation?
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Mindfulness meditation encourages practitioners to focus on the moment, becoming mindful of the details of their current experience. Transcendental meditation directs people to focus on a single thought or sound to achieve relaxation.
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Most people in the United States who use some form of CHA use it as __________ rather than as __________.
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complement to traditional medicine; an alternative.
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In the United States, who is most likely to use CHA?
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Well educated, high-income, European-American females.
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What is Integrative medicine?
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A mixture of both conventional medicine and CHA.
