Research Proposal Development. Pain. Health, Medicine Paper.

Pain

Abstract
Chronic pain is one of the prevalent aging conditions that veterans struggle to cope with. The term “chronic” means that this type of pain does not go away. Pain can be physical or psychological. While it is true that psychological pain hardly leads to physical pain, presence of physical pain has been a significant cause of psychological pain. Since chronic pain does not fade with time, there is a need for best mechanisms to address this type of pain and help aging veterans lead productive life or reduce dysfunctions that accompany chronic pain. Two types of treatments have been proposed for treatment and management of chronic pain. Pharmacological treatment emphasizes the use of medicinal drugs in combatting physical pain. The limitation is that it does not have significant improvement on addressing emotional pain that accompanies physical pain. Cognitive Behavioral therapy has been proposed for treatment of physical and psychological pain. CBT falls in the category of non-pharmacological technique because there is no use of drugs. It entails modification of lifestyle and use of talk therapy. The researcher intends to promote the use of CBT techniques in the treatment and management of chronic pain in aging veterans.  PainChronic pain is one of the depressive disorders that are prevalent in the later stages of life. According to Ehde, Dillworth, and Turner (2011), it is estimated that over eleven million American adults suffer from chronic pain. This is a significant number, and there is a need for proper mechanisms in place to help this population. While it is true that chronic pain cannot fade away, scientists and scholars have proposed physiotherapeutic and medicinal methods of coping with chronic pain among aging adults. The medicinal approach involves the use of oral ibuprofen and gabapentin drugs in the reduction of pain. There is no clear supporting evidence for gabapentin in the treatment of chronic pain, even though evidence suggests that gabapentin only treats some types of nerve pains (Tai et al., 2016). The physiotherapeutic approach involves the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment and management of chronic pain. The two methods have proved to be effective in easing pain and reducing chronic pain and dysfunctions among people experiencing chronic pain. There is, however, a concern about the suitability and efficacy of each of the two approaches when it comes to the period it takes to reduce pain and minimize dysfunction in the body. The reason for choosing this topic is to help people struggling with chronic pain understand the best approach they can opt for in treating pain. Chronic pain is both physical and psychological. Veterans are people with families, and they would wish to engage in productive activities to cater for their families. Additionally, both physiotherapeutic and medicinal treatments come at a cost. It is, therefore, ill-advised to let patients find out that the treatment they have enrolled for is not working when they have already paid money for the program. The study will compare physiotherapeutic approaches such as the use of CBT which includes physical exercises and medicinal approaches which include oral ibuprofen and gabapentin in the treatment and management of chronic pain. Murphy, McKeller, and Kerns (2014) define cognitive behavior therapy as an approach that is intended to help individuals solve problems at the individual level by focusing on change in thought and behavior patterns. Proponents of CBT believe that behaviors are learned and that a change in thought patterns has an impact on pain in the body. CBT sessions are considered to be short and more organized but with long-term results (Yasgur & Barclay, 2018). The potential beneficiary of this study is a veteran with chronic pain, scholars researching on this topic, and anyone with a desire to understand the treatment of chronic pain in adults. To complete this research study, the researcher will use a case study approach. Case studies are useful in clinical research because of their narrow on the problem. In this case, the issue at hand is the best method that can be used to treat and ease chronic pain within eight weeks. The case study will identify the group of interest (veterans) and study the group with the aim of developing new theories and dispelling old theories. Additionally, case studies create room for the researcher to interview or question other people apart from the research subjects on the problem under investigation. Doctors, family members of the affected veterans, as well as psychotherapists will be sources of primary data for this study. This implies that the researcher will be in a position to make a robust conclusion from the study.The researcher will use the PICOT technique to explore the topic. The research question on the subject under study will be: Will veterans suffering from chronic pain and are treated with chronic behavioral therapy (CBT) achieve a more significant reduction in pain and physical dysfunction compared to veterans with chronic pain treated with ibuprofen and gabapentin over a period of eight weeks of treatment? The subjects will be placed under two different environments with close monitoring of each of the treatments methods for eight weeks. The PICOT method below will help the researcher respond to the research question. P- Veterans suffering from chronic painI- treated with chronic behavioral therapyC- Compared to veterans with chronic pain treated with ibuprofen and gabapentinO- Achieve a more significant reduction in pain and physical dysfunctionT –Over a period of eight weeksPeter (2015) defines ethics as upholding values and morals during data collection and dissemination of findings from the research study. In the research on the use of therapeutic and medicinal approaches to determine the best strategy in reducing pain in veterans, the researcher has to adhere to ethical considerations in the collection and dissemination of the findings from the study. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and discuss ethical concerns on the topic of pain treatment among veterans. The paper draws information from research articles as well as the Belmont Report that addressed the handling and treatment of human subjects in social research.Evidence-Based Practice in and Ethical ResearchKetefian (2014) defines evidence-based practice (EBP) as an approach aimed at integrating clinical expertise, patient values, and the best research practice in the decision-making process for the patient. In the research on treatment of pain among veterans, the researcher will use veterans as well as clinicians in hospitals as participants. Conducting social research deals with people, and the researcher will have to integrate research findings with the evidence from the research. The conclusion from the research will need to reflect what is happening on the ground and not mere assumptions. To best meet ethical considerations for this study, the section below discusses risks associated with ignoring ethical considerations in social research on the treatment of pain in veterans.Risks Associated with Ignoring Ethical Considerations in ResearchRisk assessment in research implies considering all aspects associated with potential harm, discomfort, or inconvenience both for the researcher and the subjects in the study (Peter, 2015). The harm can be physical or emotional. Emotional damage is likely to hinder data collection because participants are likely to restrict access to some information that is relevant to the study. The researcher will address all risks by avoiding asking personal questions or avoiding seeking information that will render participants emotional. To protect the integrity of the researcher and the participants, the researcher will take the responsibility of holding with utmost dignity all the data available for the study. HIPAA and FERPA Concerns of Ethical ResearchHIPAA and FERPA list respect for privacy as one of the main areas that a researcher should adhere to while collecting data for social studies. Respect for privacy implies that the participants should not be forced to talk or provide information more than what they are willing to share. Participants have the right to control what they wish to share, the time they want to be available, and the place they want to be available for interview. Privacy also goes further to restrict revealing names of participants used in the study and any act that may reveal their identity to the public. In addition to privacy, HIPAA and FERPA emphasize the need for confidentiality in data collection and dissemination of information about participants. The researcher holds the responsibility of securing the identity of participants and making sure that private information does not land into malicious hands. Informed Consent ComponentsInformed consent pertains to informing participants the reason why the researcher is collecting data. The researcher will also educate participants on the methods of data collection. In case the researcher wants to take pictures of participants or record videos, the researcher will only do that with permission from participants. Participants should also be informed that they are volunteering to take part in the research and that they can withdraw from the study any time they wish to do that.   The Belmont report emphasizes respect for human subjects and treating them with the respect and rights they deserve. In this research study, the researcher will adhere to the principles outlined in the Belmont Report such as respect for participants’ privacy and seeking informed consent. According to the Belmont Report, ethical considerations should focus on treating people as autonomous agents, and that people with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection. Veterans are vulnerable individuals with pain and reduced independence, some of them in dire need of medical attention. The literature review section focuses on the past research areas on the topic and its relation to this research study. The literature review focuses on the research question: Will veterans suffering from chronic pain and are treated with chronic behavioral therapy (CBT) achieve a more significant reduction in pain and physical dysfunction compared to the veterans with chronic pain treated with ibuprofen and gabapentin over a period of eight weeks of treatment? Pain is a significant natural alert that there is something wrong with the body and could trigger potential health risk if not treated. Pain can take the form of physical or emotional form. In either case, the consequences of pain are often harmful to the body and cannot be ignored. Apart from causing physical dysfunction such as the inability to move and perform normal tasks, emotional pain attracts stress in affected individuals. Chronic pain is th...