Attending to the Moral Meaning of Pain

In addition to a physical and emotional experience, pain is also a morally infused experience with deep, often subconscious, meaning for many sufferers. Whether justified or not, for many people, pain may represent loss, judgement, unworthiness, abandonment, punishment, and even existential suffering and thoughts of death. The moral meaning of pain is what influences the associated experiences of stigma, loneliness, and guilt that contribute to suffering. It is why nurses and other healthcare practitioners have long adhered to a moral obligation to treat those with pain, implying a duty to attempt to make right the wrong of undeserved suffering. Yet the moral meaning of pain is rarely discussed and is often overlooked when establishing a relationship with and a treatment plan for a person with pain. It is the unattended moral meaning of pain that may contribute to unnecessary suffering, futile treatment, and even moral dilemmas in establishing care. In this paper, I explore the definition of morality itself, the moral meaning of pain, and its implications for care. I discuss how moral pluralism in contemporary society contributes to various moral perceptions that influence a person's pain experience and how their pain is treated. Finally, I make the case that using a narrative approach to intentionally look for moral meaning in an individual's pain story may reveal opportunities for more effective pain management options. (c) 2023 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This paper explores the moral meaning of pain and its implications for care. Pain is not only a physical and emotional experience, but also has a profound moral significance that can lead to related experiences such as stigma, loneliness, and guilt, which in turn can cause suffering. However, the moral meaning of pain is rarely discussed and often overlooked when establishing a relationship with and developing a treatment plan for a person with pain. The author suggests that using a narrative approach to intentionally look for the moral meaning in an individual's pain story may provide opportunities for more effective pain management options.