An Alternative Approach in Pain Management: Laughter Therapy

Abstract

Pain is defined by The International Association for the Study of Pain as an “unpleasant sensory, emotional and sensation or behavior pattern related to the past experiences of the individual associated with actual or potential tissue damage, originating from a certain part of the body”. There are pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment methods for pain. Nonpharmacological treatment methods include pain training programs, exercise therapies, transcutaneous electrical stimulation, cognitive-behavioral therapies, acupuncture, massage techniques, hot-cold treatments, and relaxation exercises. Cognitive-behavioral strategies used in pain management are hypnosis, relaxation techniques, distraction. The laughter approach is one of the distraction techniques used in pain management. In the studies, the effects of laughter on rheumatic diseases, diabetes mellitus, allergic responses, immune system, cardiopulmonary disorders, cancers, aging problems, and pain were investigated. One of the non-pharmacological treatment methods used in pain management is laughter therapy. However, according to literature in our country, there are not enough studies that explain the place and importance of laughter therapy in pain management. Therefore, the purpose of the article; to review the concepts of pain and laughter therapy, laughter therapy in pain management, and its effects on pain.

Keywords

• Laugh
• Laughter
• Laughter Therapy
• Pain

Ağrı Yönetiminde Alternatif Bir Yaklaşım: Kahkaha Terapisi

Abstract

Ağrı, Uluslararası Ağrı Araştırmaları Birliği tarafından “vücudun belli bir bölgesinden kaynaklanan, doku harabiyetine bağlı olan veya olmayan bireyin geçmişteki deneyimleriyle ilgili istenmedik bir duysal, emosyonel ve hoş olmayan bir duyum ya da davranış şekli” olarak tanımlanmıştır. Ağrı için farmakolojik ve nonfarmakolojik tedavi yöntemleri bulunmaktadır. Nonfarmakolojik ağrı tedavi yöntemleri; ağrı eğitim programları, egzersiz tedavileri, transkutanöz elektrik stimülasyonu, kognitif-davranışsal terapiler, akupunktur, masaj teknikleri, sıcak-soğuk uygulamalar ve relaksasyon egzersizlerini içermektedir. Ağrı yönetiminde kullanılan bilişsel-davranışsal stratejiler; hipnozu, relaksasyon tekniklerini ve distraksiyonu içermektedir. Kahkaha yaklaşımı ise ağrı yönetiminde kullanılan distraksiyon tekniklerinden biridir. Çalışmalarda kahkahanın, romatizmal hastalıklar, diabetes mellitus, alerjik yanıtlar, bağışıklık sistemi, kardiyopulmoner rahatsızlıklar, kanserler, yaşlılıkla gelişen problemler ve ağrı üzerine iyileştirici etkileri incelenmiştir. Ağrı yönetiminde kullanılan non-farmakolojik tedavi yöntemlerinden biri de kahkaha terapisidir. Ancak ülkemizde literatüre göre kahkaha terapisinin ağrı yönetimindeki yeri ve önemini açıklayan yeterli çalışmaya rastlanmamıştır. Bu nedenle derlemenin amacı; ağrı ve kahkaha terapisi kavramları ile kahkaha terapisinin ağrı yönetiminde kullanımını ve ağrı üzerindeki etkilerini incelemektir.

Keywords

• Gülme
• Kahkaha
• Kahkaha Terapisi
• Ağrı

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