Distraction and coping with pain.

Abstract

Distraction is thought to be an effective strategy for coping with pain-produced distress. The purpose of this article is to offer explicit conceptual explanations of why and when distraction will be effective and to review research related to this conceptual scheme. A theoretical case for the effectiveness of distraction is drawn from assumptions about (a) the importance of cognition in mediating the pain experience, and (b) the limited capacity available for focusing attention on different stimulus events. Combining these assumptions led to four principles that were examined with available data. Principle 1: Distraction will reduce distress as compared with uninstructed and placebo control conditions. Principle 2: Distraction techniques that require more attentional capacity will be more effective. Principle 3: Distraction will have stronger effects on pain stimuli of low intensity. Principle 4: Distraction will be more effective than sensation redefinition for mild pain stimuli, but the reverse will be true for intense pain stimuli. The data supported these principles, and this review discusses implications and research necessary for helping persons to cope with pain.

The role of motivation in distracting attention away from pain: An experimental study

“…The putative mechanism for its perceived effectiveness is attention: when attention is directed away from pain, less attention is available for pain, and less pain is experienced [39]. Although appealing, empirical evidence in support of this view is inconclusive [12,48].…”

The role of spatial attention in attentional control over pain: an experimental investigation

“…Most often studies found a reduction in pain experience (McCaul and Malott 1984;Miron et al 1989;Petrovic et al 2000;Tracey et al 2002;Valet et al 2004;Van Damme et al 2008; but see Goubert et al 2004;McCaul et al, 1992). Directing attention away from pain also dampens the processing of nociceptive input in various brain structures (Bantinck et al 2002;Valet et al 2004;Villemure and Bushnell 2009), in particular through the activation of prefrontal areas (Bantinck et al 2002;Petrovic et al 2000;Valet et al 2004).…”

“…Many studies have argued that distraction is effective because attention is directed towards a stimulus from another perceptual modality (McCaul and Malott, 1984;Miron et al 1989;Petrovic et al 2000;Tracey et al 2002;Valet et al 2004). This hypothesis however is premature since distraction tasks used in previous studies involved both (1) directing attention towards a perceptual modality other than nociception and (2) directing attention towards a spatial location other than the location of the painful stimulus.…”

Pain and Attention: Attentional Disruption or Distraction?

“…Moreover, a number of studies have shown that difficult tasks might be more successful in altering pain perception than easier tasks. 3,26,30,36 Hence, attention to a cognitive task might alter pain perception only when task load is sufficiently high.On the other hand, it has been hypothesized that pain perception can modulate attention demanding task performance. 9 Pain is a high-priority signal for danger and threat and therefore draws on limited capacity, which might lead to capacity limits being exceeded and there-…”

“…Moreover, a number of studies have shown that difficult tasks might be more successful in altering pain perception than easier tasks. 3,26,30,36 Hence, attention to a cognitive task might alter pain perception only when task load is sufficiently high.…”