Improving Patient Care
Pain is defined as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage” (International Association for the Study of Pain, 1994). Consistent pain exceeding 6 months in duration it is generally identified as “Chronic Pain”. With limited response to available treatment methods, patients may find themselves confronting lifelong pain conditions rather than short-term medical interventions. Psychotherapy offers a complimentary method of addressing recurrent and consistent pain. The utilization of psychosocial pain management techniques can reduce patient pain, reliance on medications, and length of hospital stay through the application of cognitive-behavioral therapies such as patient education, contingency management, and the development of adaptive coping skills. Psychosocial treatments for pain focus on validation of personal experiences with pain and on the social bias that exists against individuals living with pain.
Treatment Management
The objectives of psychosocial intervention to pain are to educate patients and their spouse and family members about the diagnoses, prognosis, and about medical procedures and available medication benefits. Treatment aims to teach patients how to interact with medical, mental health, and legal professionals, while increasing pain acceptance and patient resilience. Patients with an improved awareness of treatment options and long-tern effects increase the likelihood of receiving positive health care outcomes.
Decreased Medical Dependency
The goals for pain management are to alleviate patient pain and restoring functioning. Pharmaceutical interventions can help in the reduction of pain; however, side effects may actually decrease patient quality-of-life. Medication-related fatigue and cognitive deficits such as decreased memory and attention do little to improve self-esteem for patients anticipating a return to a “normal” level of functioning. Co-occurring psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse may develop in patients with chronic pain. There may also be additional impairments in maintaining relationships with family members and co-workers. Multidisciplinary treatment includes the commitment of various health professionals working toward managing the physical, psychological, and emotional effects of pain.
Improved Quality of Life is Patient-Centered
The goal of treatment is to tend to the issue of pain and relieve the patient from suffering. Patients with chronic pain conditions can benefit from the inclusion of cognitive-behavioral interventions. Such conditions include, but are not limited to:
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Fibromyalgia (FMS)
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Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (CRPS/RSD)
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
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Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
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Migraine Headaches
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Whiplash Injury
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Spinal Stenosis
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Osteoarthritis
Physical pain is often not reported out of fear of medication interventions. Sharing your concerns is not a “drug seeking” behavior. The presence of pain is a real condition that limits the lifestyle of patients of every age. Talk to you primary care physician about any pain you may be experiencing.
Use the pain scale below to communicate your pain to you primary care physician, pain management, or mental health specialist:
No pain | - 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 – | Worst pain possable
