Total pain
Short definition
Total pain is the concept, proposed by Cicely Saunders, that the suffering of a person with advanced illness has physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions that influence one another.
In plain language
Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern palliative care movement, observed that many patients' pain could not be explained by the body alone: fear, loneliness, family worries and questions of meaning also weigh in. The concept guides a team approach that cares for the whole person, not just the symptom.