One of the natural reactions to living with ongoing chronic pain is to be angry. A reason why anger has been discussed in pain management is because expressing anger, the emotion of anger, results in muscle contraction. Our already painful body then has extra muscle tension increasing pain levels.
This could possibly be a connection with the fight and fight response of the our brain and nervous system.
When we switch on this survival system of body is preparing us to fight or run for our life, therefore our muscles need to be switched on - we couldn't run or fight with switched off relaxed muscles!
Therefore if we can release, let go of our anger the muscle tension will also reduce relieving our severe chronic pain.
Let go of your Anger - Let go of your Pain
However there is much more to learn and explore about emotions and their involment and perhaps implication in the real cause of chronic pain. Emotions such a fear, frustration, sadness, guilt can be hidden within the brain, building up neural networks of memories.
As you will read later the case study of chronic pain not only involved anger at the way that she was treated by her surgeon but also storing or effectively filing the emotion of anger away for decades. Within her body and mind.
At times I believe there is a differentiation between a sudden quick anger at oneself for dropping and smashing a plate versus a long held more intense anger at a perceived long-standing insult or injustice.
Here is an Experiment in Anger You to Try.
To help understand this differentiation I'd like you to do two experiments or role-plays. Each will be a different level of imaginary anger described in the video below.
Feel the emotions in the body - interesting?
Ø At the same time I want you to check out how your body feels.
Ø Notice any sensations within your body
What did you notice?
Here by imagining you are switching on your emotion brain connections. Illustrating how neural pathways, that regulate messages to your physical body, are connected or networked.
The brain controls anger and the accompanying body reactions. This means we may develop, or learn a particular neural network of anger related to your thoughts, emotions and reactions to any event happening to us. This network may dissolve or could grow if reinforced by other events.
"Anger is for protecting oneself"
Ø Imagine a person is angry.
Ø They are not reaching out to embrace you.
Ø Neither are you likely to embrace an angry person.
Ø Their anger is moving outwards.
In effect it's leaving them moving perhaps towards you, if you happen to be in its way. Perhaps we are fearful or aware of possible violence. Or unfortunately we may absorb or 'take on board' their anger.
New Pain Solutions that Release Emotions
However, Howard Schubiner uses Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) that allows clients to express their anger in imaginary and role-play. In this manner they are releasing their anger in a safe way, in a safe place, therefore no longer carrying anger or storing anger in their bodies.
This process can make amazing changes to chronic pain at times the result is a resolution of chronic pain and becoming pain-free. This can happen, regardless of the duration or the intensity of their pain. This well illustrated in the case study below.
Decades of Hidden Anger Living with Chronic Pain
A client, I'll call Sarah, had chronic knee pain for nearly 40 years. She had an operation on both knees when she had two small children. Her surgeon, a personal family friend (This must have added extra stress and eternal reminders) reacted negatively to her stress and postsurgical pain.
"He told her to "toughen up" and "stop moaning". "
As I write that I feel angry myself on her behalf for such heartless treatment.
The situation was untenable the result of operation and perhaps more importantly the disregard for her feelings resulted in 40 years of chronic knee pain. When we did emotional release she found a safe place with me to clear emotions and within weeks was pain-free.
I understand attitudes were different in the 80s but this story illustrates that negative words and attitudes create a nocebo effect that pain specialists and doctors can have by what they say and their attitudes.
Words especially none positive should be used with care
Although when I looked up references to anger in the textbooks used in my postgraduate study of pain management I found something relevant. These textbooks cast doubts about any changes in attitude.
" A contributing factor to patient's anger was first the failure to stop their pain, and also the way they are treated within the healthcare system" (Griensven, 2017).
"..... patients need to set anger aside and concentrate on the future" (Main & Spanswick, pg 246)
They also wrote; anger expressed by the patient during early assessment in the treatment process suggested they will not make much progress on a pain management program. They even go on to suggest they may be a disruptive influence on the pain management program group and perhaps will not get one of the places available.
When we examine chronic pain treatment that patients receive nowadays why are so many people being taught by pain management clinics that they need to learn to live with chronic pain.
"Sarah was living with pain therefore she had to live with her anger."
Listen to the Video - Imagine & Release your Emotions
Are Emotions Treated in Chronic Pain Management?
Let's have a look at some of the present chronic pain treatments.
Do they examine these, often hidden emotions, such as anger?
Medication and pills.
Mostly recognised as largely ineffective in the treatment of chronic pain that don't treat pain. Some changes to neurotransmitters that's not treating emotions.
Injections or Operations
No emotional acknowledgement except maybe provides hope of cure, or produce more fear.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Not effective for treating emotions. Although talk therapy an examination of emotions that a patient is or has experienced is rarely included as their idea is to help patients live with chronic pain - not find the cause.
Manual Therapy.
In general physiotherapist don't acknowledge emotions although many are now aware of neural networks and their implications for chronic pain.
Massage Therapists.
There are some massage therapists aware of connections between somatic symptoms and emotions. If you're lucky enough to find an aware and understanding massage therapist with also the additional therapeutic touch this can definitely help.
Case study: "Ron was unable to sit beside his wife, dying of ovarian cancer, due to chronic back pain. A massage therapist gave him a 20-minute back massage that put him to sleep. He was gently woken and guided to her bedside. Ron snuggled into his partner and tears started to flow" (Griensven, 2017).
Naturopaths
Naturopaths can recognise in their case taking the connections between past trauma and life events that impact many health conditions. Although few are trained in emotional release and generally instead they will refer to a psychologist or a counsellor.
Conclusion - We need to address emotions in chronic pain.
When anger is discussed in standard medical treatments the reason given for explaining an increase in chronic pain is that anger increases muscle tension. I believe there is more to emotions than simply explaining them away by the difficulties of living with chronic pain on a daily basis.
There is more to consider as I demonstrated in my own 'anger' memory I spoke about in the video. I had constructed an 'anger memory' decades ago that easily came to mind when doing this writing and recording.
Consequently, it's important for chronic pain sufferers to be able to explore emotions about trauma or challenges that have occurred in their life. Once acknowledged, emotions can be explored and released in non-treatening ways without talk therapy.
My hope is these new developments that include releasing emotions can be future solutions for curing chronic pain. Pain solutions that I offer on this website.
References
Pain - A textbook for health professionals (2017) by Griensven, Strong & Unruh
Pain Management - An Interdisciplinary Approach (2000) by Main & Spanswick
Jean Jordan
After over 20 years of having my own pain clinics pain I started Natural Pain Solutions online business to reach more people, rather than one person at a time. Therefore when I completed my postgraduate pain management studies I wanted to spread the word about holistic self-help techniques that people can use at home.
Learn more about me here.
Ideas can be found in the articles on my website. You can sign-up to regular updates or spend time using some of the collection of self-help techniques.
NOTE: If you have pain it MUST be checked by a doctor. As this website does not diagnose nor treat pain. It is for information and educational purposes only.
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