ABSTRACT
Pain is a common human experience that functions as a protective mechanism to both external and internal stimuli, raising the body’s awareness of physical or emotional damage. The perception of pain involves sensations, feelings and emotions that are unique and specific to an individual and is the most common reason for a patient to seek medical care. This individual response presents trauma team members with a complex phenomenon that may be difficult to understand, it is not easily quantifiable like the recording of a blood pressure or pulse. Pain is both personal and private; the experience cannot easily be articulated or interpreted by another person, increasing the likelihood of subjectivity.
