Summary
If you are one of 100 million Americans with chronic pain, you’re likely under-treated and have not been taught by health providers how to improve your quality of life.
OnAir Post: Understanding Pain
Science of Pain
At a minimum, the below videos suggest the importance of getting treated by a Pain Medicine specialist who works alongside a Behavioral Pain specialist as part of a care team. Learning a little about the science of pain may profoundly change how you view your pain condition and what to do about it.
A Roundtable of Pain Specialists
For a good overview on the state of the science of pain, watch the Charlie Rose Brain Series episode on Chronic Pain.
What is Pain?
Dan Bruns, a Pain Psychologist, explains pain in a very understandable way.
Catastrophizing + Pain
Where’s the Edge of Pain?
Low Back Pain
An Anatomy Professor’s Take on Pain
University of California Professor Basbaum presents a quick course for the public. As he’d say, don’t get bogged down trying to learn details. Just get the gist of how your brain processes the ‘experience of pain.’
An Internist-Pediatrician’s Take on Pain
Dr. Schubiner briefly explains his view of the steps to take to begin to ‘unlearn’ a learned pain brain pathway. It’s important to realize that his belief, that pain can be completely unlearned is as yet a hypothesis – not proven.
Behavioral Treatment of Pain
Living with persistent pain, regardless of what the cause, necessitates some lifestyle management skills. The University of Michigan Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center has developed and tested an online self-help series of modules that may help you learn these skills.
Although you may not have Fibromyalgia, these same skills are the basis for the cognitive-behavioral therapy that Health Psychologists use in providing behavioral pain management for chronic pain in general. Check out these skill modules.
Virtual Reality (VR) for Pain Management
Another behavioral tool, VR, can help alleviate pain. Watch this short video that see how ‘Snow World’ – a VR Game – helps with pain associated with burns.
