One of the biggest drawbacks of dealing with a chronic pain condition is the uncertainty that comes with it. You don’t know if a flareup will occur at the wrong time, and unfortunately this uncertainty can end up dictating your life and decisions. One treatment technique that aims to address this problem is known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at ACT as a treatment technique for patients with chronic pain.
What Is ACT?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is similar in nature to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on changing the way you think about your pain condition and the challenges that it presents, hoping to reframe the situation in a less negative light. ACT is a little different, but its roots are also based in acceptance and understanding. With Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, the patient is taught to focus on what’s happening in the moment and not to over-analyze or fear what could happen down the road. Patients are guided to face situations head-on instead of shying away from things because of what may or may not happen.
CBT focuses on setting goals and doing what you want to do in life instead of limiting yourself because of your chronic pain. Through these technique, patients are empowered to live life to the fullest in spite of a pain condition that used to hold them back.
In order for ACT to be successful, patients need to be willing to both accept and commit. The vast majority of chronic pain patients accept that they are dealing with an uncomfortable condition, but acceptance is just part of the equation. If you’re not willing to do anything about it or reclaim your power from the condition by committing to yourself and your life, you’re not going to see any improvements. Accept that you have a pain condition, but then commit to making sure that it doesn’t dictate your life.
As you might imagine, ACT is best when paired with other treatment techniques, like exercise or physical therapy. ACT focuses on improving your mental health and your mindset, which is a major part of your chronic pain condition. However, as we’ve said in blogs in the past, chronic pain conditions typically need to be treated mentally, physically and emotionally for best results. You’ll still need to address the physical issues being caused by your pain condition, otherwise the benefits of ACT will be limited. If you’re truly doing the second part of the technique and committing to not letting chronic pain control you, it should be no problem to commit to a physical therapy or exercise routine.
It’s really easy to self-limit when we are dealing with a chronic pain condition. We sometimes put ourselves in a box where we’re comfortable, and we’re scared to step out of these walls we’ve created for ourselves out of fear of what could go wrong. Instead of focusing on what could go wrong, start thinking about what would happen if things went right. Accept your pain and confront it by committing to live the life you’ve always wanted, don’t sit on the sidelines because of pain.
If you want to learn more about the guiding principles of ACT, or you want to connect with a pain specialist who is committed to helping you find a treatment plan that works for you, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today at