A patient is watching a comedy on the television and has not requested pain medication for over 6 hours. The nurse realizes that the patient is utilizing what as a form of pain control?

Question

1. distraction
2. meditation
3. guided imagery
4. biofeedback

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 1
Distraction involves redirecting attention away from the pain and onto something the patient finds more pleasant. Participating in an activity that promotes laughter has been found to be highly effective in pain relief. Laughing for 20 minutes or more is known to produce an increase in endorphins that may continue to relieve pain even after the patient stops laughing. Meditation is a process of emptying the mind of all sensory data and, typically, concentrating on a single object, word, or idea. This activity produces a deeply relaxed state in which oxygen consumption decreases, muscles relax, and endorphins are produced. Guided imagery is use of the mind to create a scene or sensory experience that relaxes the muscles and moves the attention away from the pain experience. In biofeedback, electrodes placed on the skin transform data into visual cues so the patient learns to recognize stress-related responses and replace them with relaxation responses.