Chronic pain can be defined as pain that lasts for more than three months despite medical intervention and treatment.

There is now widespread acceptance that the body and mind work very closely together and that the experience of physical pain cannot be separated from thoughts and feelings. Pain is influenced by mental state and thinking, and in turn influences mood, emotion and behaviour. Low mood and anxiety serves to heighten pain, completing a vicious circle of pain and emotion. Referral for psychological treatment when suffering from chronic pain is not an indication that pain is “in the imagination”. It provides a holistic approach, treating the whole person rather than the symptom alone.

How Can Psychological Treatment Help?

Often people with chronic pain are also suffering from depression, anger, anxiety problems, sleeping problems, sexual concerns, drug related problems, and others. Chronic pain not only affects the individual but also their family, employment, leisure activities and life goals. Often chronic pain sufferers who have experienced trauma or violence in their past find it especially difficult to cope with and manage pain effectively. This may be due to their pre-existing emotional vulnerability.

Psychological input may involve individual, family and couple therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), hypnosis, as well as teaching coping skills and pain management techniques. Issues affecting pain management difficulties are also explored when appropriate.

Coping with chronic pain

Come to terms with it: Accepting that there is no quick answer to pain problems is the first step to gaining control of pain and taking control of life again.

Multiple medical opinions or “doctor shopping”: Consulting a variety of medical specialists can lead to unrealistic hopes and confusion amongst both doctors and patients. It also keeps the focus on the pain and reduces relaxation through pleasurable activities.

Activity and physical fitness: This means achieving a balanced lifestyle between rest, activity, leisure and diet. A physiotherapist can provide specific exercises. Moving Minds can help organise physiotherapist appointments when necessary.

Pacing activities: Waiting until a "good day" and then getting everything done (only to spend the next day or two lying in bed recovering) exacerbates pain. It is important to learn how to pace activities. This includes looking at daily structure and setting small achievable goals to increase activity without suffering afterwards.

Relaxation: Stresses and worries can increase one’s state of physical tension, which can in turn worsen pain. The therapist can teach a variety of relaxation techniques to relax mind and body — and decrease pain.

Education: Understanding chronic pain, anatomy, physiology and pain mechanisms.

Regulating sleep patterns: Pain disturbs sleep. Insufficient sleep reduces pain tolerance.