Therapy for Chronic Pain
chronic pain
Has your chronic pain effected every part of your life? Do you feel like the pain will never end? Do you feel like nobody understands what it feels like to be in your body? Is everyone around wanting you to keep your concerns about your pain quiet? Read below for some information on understanding chronic pain and ways to help you regain your life.
Chronic pain is different from acute pain which is typically caused by an injury. Acute pain last less than 3 months and Chronic Pain last more than 3 months.
Acute pain is a symptom, there’s an identified cause and your body responds to that injury. Acute pain reduces with healing and responds to treatment.
Chronic pain persists and is a condition. Chronic pain may develop after an incident and it may have a known or unknown case. Chronic pain persists beyond expected healing time and or despite treatment. Chronic Pain can keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, even years. Some people suffer chronic pain in the absence of any past injury. Common chronic pain complaints include headache, low back pain, or other chronic pain conditions such as Fibromyalgia. Chronic pain can affect any part of the body. Because of the complexity of chronic pain, it is often difficult to categorize conditions into clear and simplistic categories. There are different types and locations of pain;
Nociceptive (Tissue Damage) Pain
Pain that is caused by damage to body tissue and is based on input by specialized nerves called nociceptors
Nociceptors sense danger to soft tissues such as muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons
Most nociceptive pain is musculoskeletal, and is often described as aching or deep pain
Neuropathic (Nervous System) Pain
Pain that occurs when there is nerve damage that typically involves either the peripheral or central nerves
It is often described as burning, shooting, tingling, or electric pain
Headache Pain
Pain that involves disturbance of sensitive structures around the brain
Sensation is usually in the forehead, eyes, or upper back/neck areas
Pain is often described as a tight band, pounding, throbbing, or dull
What happens when we are in pain
Research shows, when your body is in a chronic state of pain your nerves (cells that help your body send and receive information) send millions of messages to your brain about what's going on. Your brain then makes you feel pain. Pain tells you what’s happening within the world of your own body. Studies show sometimes in chronic pain, its cause often remains a mystery. In some cases, providers know the cause of chronic pain. Inflammation is a common one. Inflammation is one way that the body responds to injuries in the cells of your body.
What is the Chronic Pain Cycle
Chronic Pain can impact daily functioning and areas of your life. It is helpful to understand the process and how the stages can occur over time. The pattern starts with an onset of chronic pain.
Activities are decreased and muscle strength begins to decrease
2. Negative Thoughts and Emotions can lead to anxiety, frustration, depression.
3. Avoidance and Withdrawal from family and friends and any activity that involves movement.
4. Distress/disability about the pain and inability to do the things you once were able to do.
Why it’s important to address pain and trauma together
Some research has shown there is a link between childhood adversity and adult chronic illnesses. When we feel threatened, our bodies have what is called a stress response, which prepares our bodies to fight or flee the area. This releases a hormone called “cortisol.” If someone has been exposed to a chaotic and critical environments that are abusive and neglectful, the cortisol response remains highly activated for an extended period of time. Especially in childhood or adolescence “without the calming influence of a supportive figure, toxic stress occurs and can damage crucial connections in the developing brain, what researchers call “pain memories.” Doctors say the same systems involved in learning and memory also are involved in sensing pain. In other words, pain changes nerve cells. The impact of repeated stress on the body into adulthood can affect both your physical and mental health. As your therapist, my first priority is to remember that you are hurting, likely emotionally as well as physically on a daily basis. Learn more about trauma here.
What are effective treatments
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps individuals resolve their problems concerning challenging emotions, behaviors, and thoughts through a goal-oriented, organized process. While it was originally used for treatment of those with depression and anxiety disorders, it has been used with a variety of other conditions from insomnia to substance abuse. In CBT, first we explore the thoughts surrounding the pain and these can often look like negative beliefs, we then process the emotions that come with chronic pain which can be depression, anger, or anxiety, and lastly we unpack the behaviors that happen with chronic pain that lead to avoidance or withdrawal.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, an acceptance and mindfulness-based intervention that teaches patients to observe and accept thoughts and feelings without judgment and without trying to change them. It focuses on identifying core values and behaving in accordance with those values. As applied to chronic pain, ACT emphasizes that “while the physical sensation may be painful, the patient’s struggle with pain is what causes suffering and emotional distress.” The aim of therapy, therefore, is to develop greater psychological flexibility in the presence of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with pain.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditation is another approach combining elements of relaxation, which seeks to increase focused attention and facilitate relaxation. Mindfulness seeks to increase intentional self-regulation to what is occurring in the present without attaching negative associations. As applied to pain management, a primary goal is to separate the pain sensation from unhelpful thoughts. Here are some effective resources to assist in recovery.
How chronic pain affects us
Chronic Pain can have social, psychological and behavioral impacts on our life. Emphasizing these areas lends itself to a focus on function and adapting behaviors that may be unhealthy. People can cope with their pain in many different ways.
Social Factors
“Punishing” responses are anger and ignoring the pain to limit expressions of pain. Consequences of this involve loud expressions of your concerns in order to be heard.
You may keep your feelings inside not showing outwardly that you are feeling or dealing with pain (i.e. stoic) because you don’t feel people listen to you.
A caring significant other may be highly responsive to your pain, the over concern can result in increased reports of pain compared to social interactions that involve focus away from the pain.
Psychological Factors
Negative thoughts and beliefs about pain can lead to challenging coping, increase in pain, suffering, and greater disability.
Your thoughts about your pain can increase the perception of your disability. By processing the way we think about pain it can help us increase your recovery by exploring the thoughts that get in the way of your goals for better health.
“When pain is interpreted as evidence of further damage to tissue rather than an ongoing stable problem that may improve, individuals with chronic pain will report higher pain intensity regardless of whether damage is occurring.”
Behavioral Factors
Passive coping
Involves protective behaviors such as limping or protecting a body part. It can lead to guarding the pain further after its healed and reinforces challenges in full recovery.
Overly relying on resting or under activity can lead to muscle atrophy. Research shows it is best to pace out your activities, where you alternate rest and activity.
Active Coping
Exercise approved by your medical provider can lead to increased recovery periods, decrease thoughts of disability, and improve strength.
Over-activity can work similarly to under activity, if someone ignores pain there’s significant challenges to your health. This can lead to inflammation and reduced activities.
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT Chronic Pain THERAPies?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is considered an evidence-based treatment for chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD treatment. Learn more about CBT for Chronic Pain by visiting this resource page developed by the Beck Institute. The biggest influence on bringing Mindfulness from the East to the West, at least recently, was Jon Kabat-Zinn. There has been a lot of research that shows Mindfulness practices have been effective for Chronic Pain, check out some information at this resource page from the Mindful center. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) will help with finding acceptance for the pain you are enduring and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science has great information to learn more here.
BEGIN chronic pain THERAPY IN ILLINOIS
You can find healing from the trauma of your past. Follow these steps to begin your therapeutic journey:
1. Contact our counseling office to schedule a free 30 minute consultation.
2. Meet with one of our compassionate therapists for online therapy in Illinois.
3. Find relief from chronic pain and move forward with your life in a healthy way.
OTHER Therapies OFFERED AT TELOS HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERVICES
Counseling for chronic pain often involves several approaches towards recovery. Telos Health and Wellness in Illinois offers therapy for trauma and therapy for substance use disorders, and therapy for LGBTQ+. Contact our office to learn more. You can find recovery. Telos Health and Wellness Services can help you find yourself, find purpose, and find meaning to help you get closer to your goals.
INTERESTED IN COUNSELING BUT HAVE QUESTIONS BEFORE COMMITTING?
Give us a call at 217-292-7262, Email us, or schedule a free 30-minute consultation to meet online.