Pain perception is complex.
Dr. Spencer Tomberg, a physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Orthopedics at Denver Health, discusses pain management and the complex nature of pain perception, highlighting the physical and emotional components. He describes how individuals may have different perceptions of pain due to variations in the action potential and synaptic regions. He dives into the etiology and routes of pain signals from the visceral system and how that contributes to referred pain. He also discusses the differences in treatment when approaching acute, subacute, and chronic pain. Ultimately, it’s important to consider the individuality of pain experiences when treating patients and not take a one size fits all approach. Check out another great lecture from the Rocky Mountain Trauma and Emergency Medicine Conference.