CRRN Pain Management in Rehabilitation Nursing 3

Question 1

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is believed to reduce pain in rehabilitation patients primarily through which mechanism?

Accepted Answer

Stimulating large-diameter nerve fibers to inhibit pain signal transmission via gate control theory

Answer

According to the gate control theory of pain, TENS works by activating large-diameter A-beta nerve fibers that compete with and inhibit the transmission of pain signals carried by smaller A-delta and C fibers at the level of the spinal cord dorsal horn.

Question 2

Which non-pharmacological intervention is most appropriate for a rehabilitation patient experiencing acute musculoskeletal pain within the first 24 to 48 hours of injury?

Accepted Answer

Cold therapy (cryotherapy) applied to the injured area

Answer

Cold therapy (cryotherapy) is the preferred intervention in the acute phase of musculoskeletal injury because it causes vasoconstriction that reduces swelling, decreases inflammatory mediators, and produces local analgesia by slowing nerve conduction velocity.

Question 3

A rehabilitation nurse is educating a patient with chronic pain about cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The primary focus of CBT for pain management is to:

Accepted Answer

Identify and restructure maladaptive thought patterns and behaviors associated with pain

Answer

CBT for chronic pain targets the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors by teaching patients to identify catastrophizing and fear-avoidance beliefs and replace them with adaptive coping strategies that improve function despite pain.

Question 4

A rehabilitation patient with chronic low back pain asks about biofeedback therapy. The nurse correctly explains that biofeedback helps manage pain by:

Accepted Answer

Teaching patients to consciously control physiological responses such as muscle tension and heart rate

Answer

Biofeedback provides real-time information about physiological functions such as muscle tension, skin temperature, or heart rate variability, enabling patients to learn voluntary control over these processes to reduce pain and stress responses.

Question 5

A rehabilitation nurse is providing care for a patient with chronic pain who is using progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). PMR reduces pain primarily by:

Accepted Answer

Systematically tensing and releasing muscle groups to reduce overall muscle tension and anxiety

Answer

Progressive muscle relaxation involves deliberately tensing and then releasing specific muscle groups in sequence, which promotes awareness of tension and its release, decreasing overall musculoskeletal tension and the anxiety component of chronic pain.

CRRN - Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse Practice Test

CRRN - Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse Practice Test

CRRN Pain Management in Rehabilitation Nursing 3