How can we help with Pain Management?
Learning How to Manage Pain
It is natural to experience pain from time to time. It is our body’s way of making us aware of that something is wrong or that there is a possible injury.
Usually, acute pain lessens and disappears over time as the underlying cause heals. However, on occasions, the pain does not go away and can persist for weeks, months or even years.
Chronic pain (pain that has lasted more than six months) can have many causes and may worsen over time. There is a wealth of research suggesting that chronic pain can be linked to anxiety, depression and trauma both as symptoms and causes.
Managing pain effectively is crucial for improving your quality of life. We understand that chronic pain can be both physical and emotional, often impacting your daily routine.
We can help to change your perception of the pain messages to reduce the intensity by using relaxation and visualisation techniques and by teaching self-hypnosis to assist with pain management. Hypnotherapy can also be used effectively in combination with other forms of pain treatment.
If you are experiencing undiagnosed pain, it is important to consult your G.P. for a formal diagnosis.
Areas of Pain Management
Acute Pain
Acute pain usually comes on suddenly and is caused by something specific, such as surgery, physical injury, dental work, labour & childbirth. When there is no longer an underlying cause for the pain, it usually recedes and then disappears altogether. Life and daily functioning can then continue as before.
However, there is a wealth of evidence that our psychology can significantly influence the experience and management of acute pain, both in terms of perception and coping mechanisms. Factors such as anxiety, depression and stress can increase pain intensity, pain duration and our overall level of unpleasantness. Pain catastrophising significantly predicts pain tolerance and pain-related anxiety.
Pain is like a puzzle that is made up of different pieces. There is a biological piece (e.g., previous injuries can make a person more sensitive to pain), a psychological piece (e.g., memories of past pain experiences can impact future pain experiences) and a social experience piece (e.g., the people who are in the room with you can impact how much pain you feel and how much pain you actually express). Even within the same person, the impact each piece has can change from situation to situation or as someone matures over their life. So even the same painful event can be experienced by the same person differently at different points in time!
Psychological interventions can help reduce pain and related distress, minimize medication use, and shorten hospital stays. Techniques such as cognitive reappraisal and distraction can help manage the overall experience of acute pain. These interventions often focus on altering perception, attention, or expectations related to pain, and on enhancing a sense of control. Relaxation and hypnosis can help reduce muscle tension and promote a sense of calm, which can in turn reduce pain perception.
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is linked to conditions that include headaches and migraines, cancer, nerve pain, back pain, fibromyalgia.
If you have chronic pain, the stress affects the body can produce physical conditions like tense muscles, limited mobility, lethargy and changes in appetite.
Chronic pain can also cause emotional effects, including depression, anger, anxiety, fear of re-injury. This fear could limit your ability to return to work or leisure activities.
Studies across the world have found a very high incidence of depression and anxiety in those with chronic pain, particularly in conditions such as fibromyalgia. It is also known that the relationship between chronic pain and depression/anxiety can be influenced in both directions.
At Mustard Therapy & Coaching we use psychotherapy to work with the psychological interplay with chronic pain, regardless of what may have caused which. We also use hypnotherapy and relaxation techniques for managing chronic pain.