Neuroscience and Pain

Acknowledgement:

Diagram by Ashley and Colleen. Graphics from freepik.com with the exception of the mosquito and the tent. They are by Julia Makotinsky from JMDesigns.

References:  

Arthritis Victoria. (2015, August 3). Treating Pain Using the Brain - David Butler [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/4ABAS3tkkuE on April 22,  2016.

Moseley, G.L. (2007). Reconceptualising pain according to modern pain science. Physical Therapy Reviews, Volume 12, 169-178.

Moseley, G.L., Butler, D., Beames, T.B., & Giles, T, J,. (2012). The Graded Motor Imagery Handbook. Adelaide, Australia: Noigroup Publications.

Strategize: A Mini-Post

Strategize: “to make a plan for achieving a goal” (Merriam Webster, 2016).

Goal-setting is essential in providing effective health care (and most other areas of life where you want to achieve something), but it needs to go beyond having a vague idea of what you want to achieve. Goal-setting needs to go a bit deeper, into how you will achieve it.

Imagine this: There was a woman who wanted to start ice skating again. She happened to mention this to a health care provider one day. This health care provider, trying to help her regain some of the activities she lost, told her that her homework for the week was to go skating. However, the client just didn't feel comfortable or safe going skating - so she didn't. Every week the health care provider asked if she had gone yet, and expressed disappointment that she hadn’t. This left the woman feeling disappointed in herself, and never led to her going skating.

Fast forward a bit. The client had moved on to a new health care provider This one listened and acknowledged her concerns about balance and the risk of falling while skating. He also recognized that she was worried that a fall on the ice could lead to being in pain for a long time. The woman and her health care provider discussed which movements were likely safe (even if they hurt), and which movements were still best to avoid. He gave her simple strategies for improving balance, activities where she could succeed and see improvement. Though time, experience,and support, she learned skills that could help her achieve her goal. She also became more confident that she could deal with the effects of a potential fall. And finally, the health care provider shared in the excitement when the client did go skating on her own...and didn't fall!

There are a few different ideas that could be pulled out of these examples. Perhaps the biggest lesson in this story is the value of health care providers who listen to their client’s concerns. In the second example, the provider created plans with his client, rather than for her. He helped the woman achieve her goal by strategizing. The process of strategizing involved finding out what the woman’s goal was, digging deeper to find out what factors were interfering with that goal, and addressing those factors. In this way, the health care provider was able to make a true difference in the woman’s life.

Acknowledgements:

Skates from freepik.com (Modified by Colleen and Ashley.)

References:  

Strategize. 2016. In Merriam-Webster.com.

Retrieved March 14, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strategize

Perspective Matters: A Mini-Post

Check out this sign for a minute. What would you think if you saw it? Would you be surprised? Confused?

We actually came across this sign one day as we rounded a corner. At first, we could only see the one portion of it (the part shown above). We were both caught a little off guard and thought it was really strange. We kind of said “What?!?” We had to go back and have a second look. Then we laughed and realized that this is an example of how seeing the whole picture really makes a big difference! You’ll be able to see the whole sign at the bottom of this post, but first we want to share a few thoughts.

We all have moments in life where we have a tendency to hyper-focus on one aspect of a situation, but looking at the bigger picture can change everything. What does this have to do with reclaiming life from pain? A lot, actually. In the pain course we were at in October we all had to describe pain. One group described it as looking through a paper towel roll at life. Pain demands attention. It can be like losing your peripheral vision, or in other words, the ability to fully engage in other aspects of life.

This can happen whether you’re the person in pain, the supporter, or the health care provider.

• As the person in pain, the other aspects of your life can get overshadowed by the pain.
• As a supporter, you may find it difficult at times to keep your perspective on who the person really is. This is especially true when they are not acting like the person you know and love, and it can be difficult to understand what they are experiencing.
• As a health care provider, it is easy to get ahead of your clients and give them an amazing plan with all the tools to succeed, then get frustrated that they aren’t following through. But if this happens, you may need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Keeping a holistic view leads to appropriate goals, which lead to recommendations that can effectively address the client’s needs.

If your situation makes about as much sense as the “free gun” sign, then maybe it’s time to shift your focus. We’re not trying to tell you to put on rose-coloured glasses, ignore reality, or expect a perspective change to be a magic cure. Basically, what we’re suggesting is: sometimes it’s worth re-examining your perspective and assumptions.

The Importance of Self-Efficacy: A Mini-Post

Hello, and welcome to our second mini-post. We don't have a post to share every week, so we thought we would try sharing some mini-posts on the "in between" weeks. Today we have a quote to share with you. 

"I am not afraid of Storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship." ~ Louisa May Alcott

One comment we've heard from many people in pain (an echoed in the literature) is the loss of control. The feeling that pain is making the decisions in life. Paying attention to self-efficacy (and looking for ways to foster it) is so important because it can help us regain that sense of power and control. Knowing that pain isn't making ALL the decisions in our lives can have a huge impact on both the experience of pain and on quality of life. 

Pain Superstar

Hello! One of the things we hope to do with this blog is encourage individuals to start to take back control of their lives from pain. We don`t have a post to share every week, so we thought we would try sharing some mini-posts on the "in between" weeks. Sometimes this might be a short youtube video that we feel explains something nicely, a quote or a resource. Today it is a `pain superstars' post where we highlight an example, story, or lesson from someone living with pain. 

Verbal consent was give to share this photo.

I (Ashley) met this Pain Superstar at the Multiple Sclerosis Connections Conference in October 2015. She was making her rounds talking to as many people as possible, and she stopped to chat with me. She told me about how she had lived with pain for many years. She had 4 back surgeries before she was diagnosed with MS. She acknowledged the suffering she had experienced, but she was incredibly optimistic and positive. She explained that she had been asked in a recent art class to make a piece of art that described what MS meant to her. She made these glasses and this sign to show that to her, MS is something that “still allows you to see light and beauty”. She is a true example of living well with a chronic condition!