Postoperative pain 1: understanding the factors affecting patients' experiences of pain.

Management of postoperative pain is complex and multidimensionalandits effective management presents challenges to nurses. Failure to control pain can result in long term complications, including chronic post surgical pain. This first article, in a two part series, explores the physiological mechanism involved in the perception of pain and the role of psychological and environmental influences on how patients respond to it. Part 2, to be published next week, explores the principles of patient assessment and management of postoperative pain.