You may think of pain as being a negative experience felt in the body alone. However, the International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as being both a negative sensory and emotional experience. That means, thoughts and psychology is built into the very definition of pain! Furthermore, neuroscience tells us that how we think and feel impacts how we process pain at the level of the brain. This is one of the foundations for the mind-body connection.

Pain catastrophizing is defined as negative thoughts about pain related to expected or actual pain experience. Pain catastrophizing is characterized by magnification of the negative thoughts and emotions of pain, rumination about pain, and feelings of helplessness in coping with pain. Pain catastrophizing has been associated with various forms of dysfunction, including increased rates of depression and anxiety, greater functional impairment and disability due to pain, and lower overall quality of life. Individuals who catastrophize about their pain report lower levels of perceived control over pain, poorer emotional and social functioning, and poorer responses to medical intervention. Pain catastrophizing also contributes to poorer pain coping and overall functioning, making pain catastrophizing a viable target for psychological intervention.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is based on the theory that our emotional and behavioral reactions to situations are strongly influenced by how we perceive and think about those situations. Treatment with CBT involves working with patients to understand how their particular thought patterns can contribute to depression, anxiety, and the stress of chronic pain. Patients then learn how to change those thought patterns to alleviate the emotional distress that often accompanies chronic pain. Research has shown that CBT for treating depression can work as well as medications but without the risk of relapse after discontinuation. In studies of people with chronic pain, research has shown that CBT can result in improved mood, improved functional status, and decreased pain.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an approach to treating people with chronic pain that involves two basic but interrelated processes. The first process involves helping people learn how to accept the aspects of their pain that they cannot change. The second process involves helping people commit to living according to their values to give greater meaning to their lives, even when they are living with chronic pain. Research has shown that ACT for treating chronic pain can result in greater acceptance of pain, higher levels of physical functioning, lower levels of depression and anxiety, and improved quality of life.

Having a painful condition is stressful. Unfortunately, stress can contribute to a range of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, depression and anxiety. In addition, stress can trigger muscle tension or muscle spasms that may increase pain and reduce the efficiency of our gaba receptors which is the inhibitory part of our nervous system. Learning ways to regulate your emotions and sensory experiences can directly affect the intensity of your pain.

Our pain counseling can help you cope with the stresses in your life that impacts your chronic pain by learning ways to improve the health of our nervous system by learning relaxation techniques, such as meditation or breathing exercises to help cope with stress. Practicing relaxation techniques daily can help strengthen your relaxation response outside of the practice. Therefore, you are able to lengthen the time between your reaction and response to stressful situations.