Pain is a sensation that we have all felt. For some however it is a chronic problem in need of intervention. There are over 100 million people in the United States who have chronic or untreated pain (Peppin, Cheatle, Kirsh, & McCarberg, 2014). Pain not only affects the individual, it costs the nation $560 to over $600 billion dollars a year in medical costs and lost productivity (Peppin, Cheatle, Kirsh, & McCarberg, 2014). Although pain treatment has become a well-researched medical speciality in itself, treatment of pain is complicated as each of our experiences with pain is different. Many treatments do not work or have unwanted or dangerous side effects. Opioid treatment is the most common of pain treatments but may lead to misuse, dependence and addiction (Peppin, Cheatle, Kirsh, & McCarberg, 2014). This may be especially true for patients who have a history of or current substance abuse problem. Both untreated pain and the use of opioids can reinforce opioid-seeking behavior and further or cause a relapse in drug abuse (Schafer, Denke, Krampe, & Spies, 2015). Careful considerations of risk and benefits must be weighed in substance-using populations as well as opioid tolerance and dependence. Therapies beyond opioid treatment should be considered and treatment plans need to be tailored to the individual. To do so providers must understand pain theories. This site will explore The Gate Control Theory and how it relates to pain control among current and former substance abusers.
Site Objectives
- Describe the challenge of treating pain in current or former substance users, noting a nurse-specific perspective to the problem.
- Describe The Gate Control Theory in detail and apply the theory directly to pain in current or former substance users.
- Evaluate the integrity of The Gate Control Theory and supply a rationale for its application to current or former substance users.
- Describe the implications for using the theory in practice.
- Review challenges of the theory as applied to pain relief for the target population.