Explain the science of physiological and mental pain.

Explanation should include

• definition of pain from the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)
• neurobiological basis of pain
• biopsychosocial model of pain
• types of pain (e.g., neuropathic)
• acute, sub-acute, and chronic pain, including pain generation
• spinal and brain modulation, behavioral adaptation and maladaptation, and the continuum from acute to chronic disabling pain
• the underlying science of pain relief.

Process/Skill Questions:

• What is the IASP definition of pain?
• How can a medical professional get a patient to describe physiological pain?
• What assessment tools can be used to help patients describe physiological pain? How do tools differ for describing mental pain?
• How are pain and levels of pain categorized?