Chronic pain is very complex, so the answer to why you are living with chronic pain differs depending on who you ask. However there is agreement that a whole of body and mind approach where the patient takes an active part in their treatment is essentail for positive outcomes.
Chronic pain - pain that stays - is a very different experience to the pain of hitting your hand with the hammer instead of the nail. This is sturctural injury that will heal.
In this article I tell you about my expereince of learning about chronic pain, first when training to be a naturopath and more recently postgrdaute study in Pain Management at Otago university. These pathways exposed me to very different ideas and expereinces that I will expand on in this article.
Looking for Answers - Studying Chronic Pain Management
I remember standing in front of a fibromyalgia support group in 2017. I’d been invited to talk about how I worked with chronic pain. Some of what I talked about that day, I'll share with you today, together with some updated information.
At the time of presenting to the fibromyalgia group, I had just finished some study with Edinburgh University pain department. Here I came across research done by Prof Lorimer Moseley (2015). He argued that if people could understand chronic pain they should not "learn to live with pain" but "learn to live without pain."
“Learn to live with Pain - Not what you want?"
The idea of learning to live with pain, as proposed by most pain specialists and pain management clinics, was new to me. My philosophy in my naturopathic pain clinic is to give people the tools to find the cause of their pain, take responsibility and yes, make those changes to live without pain.
Client story of dealing with fibromyalgia - CLICK HERE
Clinical Research into Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
I completed my clinical research thesis in 2005 when I training to be a naturopath. The reseach demonstrated I could do exactly what Prof Moseley was suggesting.
16% of the participants had no more pain, regardless of the duration or severity of the chronic pain
40% were able to return to living their normal lives with little or no interference due to chronic pain.
“But I'm sure you want to know about those who kept their Chronic Pain"
The clinical treatment didn't work for some. These people achieved nothing by being part of the research.
One person came once, I didn't see them again, so no change in their chronic pain.
Three participants made no change because they were unable to make any changes.
They either disagreed, didn't like my ideas, some said well I've done that and it didn't work.
So effectively they didn't try the homework that I was suggesting. Therefore there was no change in their chronic pain.
"In any research about chronic pain it's important to read or to find out what didn't work and the reasons why."
In much research they generally spend much time identifying the improvements and what worked. However it's important to know what didn't work and the reasons why. Mostly the research is trying to show that the medication or methodology works and often is better than what we do presently.
When I looked closely at those would got no benefit from my treatment I learnt the importance of connection between patient and practitioner. This communication is the aim of Natural Pain Solutions, to provide information, ideas and also stories as in the clinic research I carried out.
What Can be Learnt from What Doesn't Work in Clinical Research?
It's important to pay attention to the 'failures', missteps, or what didn't work. A lot of time and effort went into my research.
There were 25 participants,
Each had up to six consultations, making a total about 140 hours of face-to-face with those taking part in the study.
Plus writing the thesis and doing a literature review.
The important finding in my clinical research, when treating chronic pain was nothing to do with how long a client had chronic pain, whether for six months or pain for 20 years it didn't affect the result. Neither was the severity of the pain nor the disability caused by their pain and impact on their result and personal outcome.
What I Learnt From My Research into Chronic Pain
I learnt a very important lesson from this clinical research into chronic pain that I incorporate into the treatment I do to this day and this is one of the main “reasons why” you have to consider if you have chronic pain.
It is your pain; therefore it's your responsibility to be an active participant. This brings to mind such aspects as self-responsibility, self-efficacy, self-development and an overall involvement of yourself in any and all aspects of your pain treatment.
It's Your Chronic Pain - Be an Active Partner in Treatment
Look it’s like this; you cannot make a cake by looking at the ingredients or the packet of ready mixed chocolate brownies. You must "do something".
So many of us are used to taking a pill because we've been told we got high blood pressure, or diabetes. Just take a pill and carry on life as normal. Although, more recently we are beginning to find out that doesn't work to make us well, nor healthy.
Medicine is beginning to find that pills don't work very well for chronic pain and sometimes the last resort of surgery isn't always successful.
If you've been on your pain journey for many years, have seen many different chronic pain therapists and specialists you may have heard many explanations of why you are in constant pain, or why medication, pill's, injections or operations have not cured your pain.
"Communicating with patients with empathy and compassion has been shown to be associated with better health outcomes, fewer doctor visits and less medication” (Buchinder & Harris, 2021)
In most major cities there are specialist pain management clinics for more serious chronic pain. Some of you reading this may have already spent time at pain management clinics, hopefully successfully but this is not always the case.
Here’s my questions to you.
Do you want to manage your pain?
Or would you prefer to try living without pain?
Most Chronic Pain Starts with Acute Pain
We all know pain, from breaking a bone in our arm to getting a paper cut - so small but so painful. There is a physical injury; the damage is evident, not only can you feel the pain in your arm, but you can see the cut from the paper, "it's bleeding" or your broken arm 'is swollen". This type of pain is labelled 'acute pain' by doctors and you may have found this term online.
The 'acute pain' I described above should heal over time, as our bodies have a good repair system that goes into action when we have an injury.
But if you still have you same amount of pain, or even an increased level of pain or even less pain but it's still pain that interferes with your life, or makes you miserable, then the doctor will change the name of your pain to say that you are now suffering with 'chronic pain'.
Along with the name change to chronic pain, there should be a change of treatment. In the past 20 years of working with clients who have chronic pain one aspect of treatment was benefical. As found in my original research the life history, especially challenges, trauma and changes during a clients life needs to be taken into consideration to find why you have chronic pain.
Natural Pain Solutions Provides Self-Help Skills for Pain Relief
This article is the personal opinion of the author, Jean Jordan who is a natural therapist who works online with people who have chronic pain and related stress and anxiety.
Learn more about Jean and discover her philosophy and holistic approach.
Reference:
Moseley, G. L., & Butler, D. S. (2015). Fifteen Years of Explaining Pain: The Past, Present, and Future. The Journal of Pain 16(9). 807-813
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