Talking therapy, where patients focus on easing psychological stress to make it easier to complete physiological activities, may be another avenue for chronic pain sufferers.
The therapy – also referred to as Contextual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CCBT – works by helping people overcome stress that can exacerbate chronic pain symptoms. For example, some people with chronic pain may become stress/fear avoidant, meaning they’ll avoid certain activities simply because they fear the potential outcome. Not only can limited activities make a chronic pain condition worse, but it can also make it harder for the patient to fully overcome the condition.
“We know that for some people with chronic low back pain psychological stress is a major factor, and therefore there is a significant challenge to find effective treatments,” said Dr. Stephen Simpson, director of research and programs at Arthritis Research UK. “This pilot study has shown that combining physical and psychological approaches could be the way forward to treat this common, often disabling condition more effectively.”
Talking Study
For their study, researchers recruited 89 patients with chronic back pain and split them into two groups. The first group received just physiotherapy, while the second group received CCBT and physiotherapy. After completing their assigned therapy, researchers noted that physiotherapy was more successful if patients also received CCBT. Additionally, patients who received both therapies said they believed CCBT helped them be successful in physiotherapy.
“Our study found that CCBT is acceptable to patients,” said Tamar Pincus, a professor at Royal Holloway University of London. “Interestingly many patients who took part, as well as several of the clinicians involved — both psychologists and physiotherapists — thought the best treatment was a combination of both physiotherapy and CCBT.”
Researchers concluded that physiological treatment is just as important as physical treatment when dealing with chronic pain, as mental therapy can improve patient conditions and reduce treatment costs.
Related source: UPI.com