What Types of therapies are suitable for chronic pain management?
Don’t undervalue the psychological and emotional aspects of suffering. A significant portion of living with chronic pain is psychological suffering, which includes sadness, melancholy, anxiety about future and present misery, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts.
It’s critical to understand that all of this is typical. It would help if you gave these emotions some attention as well.
Effective treatment of chronic pain requires managing biological, psychological, and emotional components, all of which are involved.
How can therapy help with chronic pain management?
Chronic pain can be managed through therapy, which can help individuals avoid thought processes that make their pain worse.
Dr. Elena Welsh, a clinical psychologist, emphasizes that therapy is part of a larger pain management treatment plan. It includes medical monitoring and intervention.
However, Chronic pain is not just a physical sensation but also has psychological and emotional aspects. They lead to mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
Therapy can improve mental well-being and help manage chronic pain, such as teaching tools like activity pacing.
Why Does Your Doctor Suggest Seeing a Psychotherapist?
Psychotherapy is an essential treatment for chronic pain, as it is not a job title or degree. It is not a cause or effect of the patient’s pain but rather a way to manage it.
Psychotherapists can be used in combination with medication or as an alternative. They can be found in various fields, including psychiatrists, psychologists, and licensed professionals.
Patients should ensure their therapist meets state certification and licensing requirements before choosing one.
It is essential to find a therapist who feels comfortable with the patient.
Types of therapy for chronic pain management
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for chronic pain
CBT is a psychotherapy method that helps individuals recognize and change thoughts and behaviors. It also teaches pain management techniques like activity pacing and distraction and helps individuals work collaboratively with their therapist to enrich their lives despite pain.
CBT has been shown to reduce pain and depression in individuals with various health conditions.
Mind-Body Therapies
Mind-body therapies aim to help the mind affect body functions and symptoms. They use relaxation techniques, meditation, guided imagery, biofeedback, and hypnosis. Relaxation techniques can alleviate pain, while guided visualization can help control pain.
Keeping a diary of pain episodes can help identify causative factors. EMG biofeedback can help identify muscle tension contributing to pain. Hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis can block or transform pain through refocusing techniques.
So, Regular relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga can reduce stress-related pain.
Chiropractic Treatment and Massage
Chiropractic treatment is a standard nonsurgical treatment for back pain, with some trials showing improvements. However, evidence does not support its effectiveness in treating chronic back and neck pain. Massage therapy, like chiropractic manipulations, is increasingly used to manage chronic back and neck problems.
It can reduce stress and tension, but its effectiveness still needs to be clarified due to the limitations of available studies.
Biofeedback
Psychologists and healthcare providers use biofeedback to help individuals control their bodies’ stress responses. It involves attaching sensors to the skin to measure heart rate, blood pressure, and brain waves.
Using a monitor, therapists teach relaxation strategies such as mindfulness and deep breathing. The sessions typically last 60-90 minutes, and some patients experience improvements in a few sessions.
Additionally, a well-reputed medical clinic always offers these therapy options for chronic pain management.