Outwit, outplay, outlast. As the tv show Survivor’s tagline suggests, a three-pronged approach to pain education may enhance the lives of those who suffer from chronic pain, according to a new study conducted at the University of South Australia.
The research, conducted by Hayley Leake, a PhD candidate at the University of South Australia and the 2021 Australian Survivor champion, demonstrates that adults who recover from chronic pain appreciate understanding three pain concepts:
- Pain does not mean that my body has been damaged.
- Pain is influenced by thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
- My overprotective pain system can be retrained.
According to Leake, these principles represent a contemporary application of the biopsychosocial model, which is critical for developing successful interventions for persons suffering from chronic pain.
“Chronic pain is experienced by one in five Australians, and when pain persists, it can disrupt every aspect of life – including school or work, social and family connections, and physical and mental health,” says Leake.
“Modern pain science suggests that pain is a protective output from the brain in response to threat. Threat may take many forms, not just what’s happening in your body, but also your thoughts, emotions and context.
“In the final challenge on Survivor, I stood on narrow pegs for almost five and a half hours. To manage that pain, I tried to de-threaten the challenge in my mind by repeating to myself: ‘My feet are strong, my body is safe, this is not dangerous.’ Having a deeper than usual understanding of how pain works thanks to my research, and how strong and resilient our body tissue is, probably also reduced my pain during that task.
“Using this same model – less threat equals less pain – I’m exploring misconceptions about pain. Primarily, the misconception that pain reflects tissue damage.
“By reframing knowledge of pain, I’m hopeful that we can make a positive difference to the lives of people challenged by chronic pain.”
Leake’s research examined the value of pain science education among 97 participants using a mixed methods technique.
The findings indicated that pain science education aided in the recovery of chronic pain sufferers by emphasizing that pain does not always indicate an injury to the body; that stress and emotion can amplify perceptions of pain; and that it was possible to reframe pain as an ‘overprotection’ that could be reduced.
According to Leake, it’s also critical to understand the significance of pain science education for a young cohort that can be adversely affected by chronic pain.
“Teenagers report feeling uncertain and anxious about their diagnosis of chronic pain; they want a further explanation beyond just a label. It is important we help them make sense of their pain.
“When communicating pain concepts to teenagers, we’ve identified seven learning objectives that can help teenagers better understand pain:
- Pain is a protector
- The pain system can become overprotective
- Pain is a brain output
- Pain is not an accurate marker of tissue state
- There are many potential contributors to anyone’s pain
- We are all bioplastic (adaptable to change)
- Pain education is treatment.
“Ideally, helping teenagers learn that pain does not indicate tissue or body damage, may disassociate any fear of reinjury, helping them move and start to recover sooner,” Leake adds.
“By helping them understand that stress can affect pain, they are motivated to address this in their lives.
“Reframing perceptions of pain is key. Instilling hope that change is possible can make all the difference to a young person struggling with chronic pain.”
Source: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002244
Image Credit: Getty
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