A type of treatment long known to be effective at treating clinical depression may also help with your chronic pain.
Studies are showing that cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, can be as effective as other treatments for pain. CBT is often used in combination with other pain relief strategies, such as medication and physical therapy.
So what is CBT?
It’s a way of reframing the automatic thoughts that accompany pain. Thoughts such as “this is unbearable” and “this will never get better” can increase stress, and hormones associated with stress can actually make your pain worse and interfere with your body’s natural pain-fighting mechanisms.
With CBT, you will work on recognizing automatic thoughts that you may not have been aware of and training your brain new ways to think about your pain.
Using CBT does take a time commitment. In addition to sessions with a therapist, you will probably have homework to complete. It may consist of keeping a pain journal and making note of your thoughts during pain episodes.
Does the fact that CBT can help mean your pain is “all in your head”? No, not at all. Your pain is all too real. But you experience pain by nerve signals sent to the brain, so recruiting the brain to help cope with the pain and improve your quality of life can make a difference.
As an added bonus, CBT can help you regain a sense of control that living with pain may have stolen from you. It can also help with depression that may be a side effect of chronic pain.
If you have any questions about chronic pain and how to treat it, the staff at Tulsa Pain would be happy to discuss it with you.
Tulsa Pain is a multi-location pain management practice in Oklahoma that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain. We are dedicated to helping those who are suffering find the relief they deserve. Our team uses a balanced approach by incorporating minimally invasive, outpatient procedures, complementary and alternative medicine, and medication to help patients take control of their pain. Call 918-742-7030 or click here to Request an Appointment to meet with one of our talented pain management specialists today!
The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.
