Going with the flow: emotion regulation and coping

I’m in two minds about attempting to regulate emotions. From ACT, and in particular, mindfulness, I’m learning that trying to control emotions and thoughts is darned near impossible – and unhelpful. From the research on the effect of pain on emotions and subsequently on self regulation, goals and coping, it seems that pain strongly [...]

Theories of emotion, self-regulation and pain

Can chronic pain be a force that shapes how we go about responding to challenges within our environments?
Does chronic pain influence how we feel emotionally about daily activities that contribute to overall goals, and perhaps negatively bias the way we think about the process of setting and achieving goals?
I’ve already concluded that having [...]

I’m so tired of coping: Self regulation, executive functions and chronic pain

Changes take energy – that’s nothing new, I know, but perhaps something as clinicians we might forget when we work with people who have chronic pain. I was thinking about this as I’ve had a week away from regular blogging so I could focus on writing and some self care.  Things are busy and [...]

That old mind-body thing again…

Editor’s Selection IconI am not a philosopher.  Neither am I very conversant in the arguments around consciousness.  But working in pain management means the mind-body debate is something I run into now and again.  Is pain all about the body? Is pain all about the mind? Or is it both?  Which influences the other?
This debate [...]

Accepting low back pain: Is it related to a good quality of life?

The purpose of pain management is, in the end, of no earthly use if it doesn’t change a person’s quality of life. It’s fine to maybe reduce pain intensity (remembering that most pain reduction approaches seem to reduce pain by around 10 – 40%), and it’s great to improve function – but unless the [...]

Acceptance in chronic pain

It’s a truism that no-one really wants to have pain (and if they do, we probably need to ‘talk’!).  Accepting pain may be equated with ‘giving up hope’ or ‘giving in’ – perhaps acceptance is thought to be about resignation rather than acknowledgement.  In any event, very few of the people I work with seem [...]

The myth of core stability: part 2

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Following on from yesterday’s post about core stability, today I want to look at training, back pain prevention and rehabilitation as it relates to core stability.
Motor learning moves from conscious attention to make certain movements through to movements that are basically over-learned or automatic. There are considerable differences in how a beginning [...]

The myth of core stability

Editor’s Selection IconFads come and fads go, and no more so than in managing back pain. One of the more durable fads has been the plethora of exercises to ’strengthen the core’. I’ve been searching for a good review of the literature on core stability, and surprisingly found one in a journal I [...]

Take the pain away and the other problems go too? A loooooong post

There are some days I despair that the biopsychosocial model will EVER take hold in the died-in-the-wool medical interventionist strongholds.
This quote from a discussion with a colleague might help you join in my pity party…The conversation is about a case of a young woman with 18 month history of neck pain post-MVA, she has been [...]

Real world outcomes still matter: why medical and psychological is not enough in pain management

NB: The following rant does not reflect the opinions of my employers, colleagues, family or pets! It is MY opinion!
I feel rather weary today, having come to a realisation that although pain management as a field of work has become much more recognised, there are some serious differences of opinion around approach and priorities between [...]