Role of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, CBT, in Treating Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a multi-dimensional health complication that can leave a patient longing for better days of more pain-free living. If you are suffering from complications of chronic pain, it is important to understand how your pain can be adversely affected by not only your physical health condition but also your mental health.

For many chronic pain sufferers, the complications associated with chronic pain are directly related to an injury, illness or a birth defect that is physically altering the way one feels. In addition, there can be complications with chronic pain that stem far more into the physiological systems of the body and may be impaired by pre-existing, or co-morbid, mental health complications (Winterowd 12). If you have chronic pain that does not seem to resolve with traditional medical care, it may be time to consider mental health services that work to alleviate pain in patients who are suffering.

Within our bodies, there is a risk for developing chronic pain in response to our perceptions and emotional environments. When our bodies are under excessive emotional stress, hormones that would typically work to alleviate physical pain are less likely to circulate through the body efficiently and, as a result, physical pain can be difficult to manage. While traditional medical care works to turn off the pain receptors in the brain, there is an element of natural response our body's use to fight pain by releasing endorphins and other hormones that subdue pain complications. When experiencing depression, or other mental health complications, these hormones are less likely to work effectively.

If you have chronic pain complications, it is important to meet with a mental health specialist about your pain issues and seek to resolve the pain from not only a traditional medical standpoint but to also use psychotherapy. In doing so, many chronic pain sufferers learn how to re-train their brains to respond to chronic pain more effectively. Alleviating stress through cognitive-behavioral therapy is one very effective way that pain is overcome.

With cognitive-behavioral therapy, CBT, your therapist will assist you in developing coping mechanisms that you can use when pain flare-ups occur. The response to your pain will involve first thinking about the pain and then responding in such a way that your body will release endorphins and the "feel good" hormones (Winterowd 35). Such behavior response may include light exercise, engaging in a hobby, or socializing with friends. Using these techniques - by first thinking about the pain and the responding with a positive behavior - will not only distract you from the pain complications but also work to alleviate the need for more traditional chronic pain treatment.

While not all chronic pain responds to cognitive-behavioral therapy, many patients who live with this disorder find that CBT is effective in an overall health treatment plan. Learning to control your environment, and your response to pain, is vital to your physical health as well as your mental health. Ask your doctor about these, and other alternative treatments, for chronic pain complications.

Sources: Winterowd, Carrie. Cognitive Therapy with Chronic Pain Patients, Springer Publishing Company. 2003. Google Books.