Medical Emergencies · single question
Which statement about CHRONIC PAIN is correct?
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Correct answer: A. May be related to emotions and can be of Psychogenic or Neuropathic origin
Chronic pain may be related to emotions and can be of Psychogenic or Neuropathic origin (A). Chronic pain (lasting >3 months) is complex and multifactorial:
• Neuropathic pain: abnormal neural processing — burning, shooting pain without ongoing tissue damage (e.g., trigeminal neuralgia, post-herpetic neuralgia).
• Psychogenic pain: significantly influenced by psychological factors (depression, anxiety, somatization).
• Option B is FALSE: A direct cause CANNOT always be found — this is a defining challenge of chronic pain management. Many patients have no identifiable structural cause.
• Option C is FALSE: Pain is a subjective symptom — it cannot be objectively measured.
• Option D is FALSE: Chronic pain frequently persists beyond the period of tissue healing and may exist without active tissue damage.
• Neuropathic pain: abnormal neural processing — burning, shooting pain without ongoing tissue damage (e.g., trigeminal neuralgia, post-herpetic neuralgia).
• Psychogenic pain: significantly influenced by psychological factors (depression, anxiety, somatization).
• Option B is FALSE: A direct cause CANNOT always be found — this is a defining challenge of chronic pain management. Many patients have no identifiable structural cause.
• Option C is FALSE: Pain is a subjective symptom — it cannot be objectively measured.
• Option D is FALSE: Chronic pain frequently persists beyond the period of tissue healing and may exist without active tissue damage.
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