Overcoming Pain

Pain is your body's way of responding to perceived threats. Acute pain (e.g., a broken arm) is short term and usually easy to treat. Chronic pain is persistent. Pain signals keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, even years. We know that suffering from chronic pain, whether it is emotional, physical or both, can derail lives. Neuroscientific studies show that both emotional and physical pain activate the same parts of the brain. This means that pain is biopsychosocial, a product of biological, psychological, and social stimuli. Treating chronic pain successfully often needs a biopsychosocial approach.

 

Self-care Treatments

- Exercise, to release endorphins

- Manage stress

- Massage therapy

- Relaxation techniques

 

Treatments Your Doctor May Suggest

- Behavior therapy

- Medical procedures

- Medications (e.g., NSAIDS, Narcotics, Antidepressants)