Psychological Therapies Help In Chronic Pain Management, Study Says

Health News – New study examined different psychological interventions for the treatment of chronic pain. Researchers found these interventions help manage chronic pain while reducing the need for surgeries and potentially dangerous medications.

In the recent study, researchers explored the usefulness and availability of psychological interventions for the treatment of chronic pain. They monitored how several psychological interventions could be an important part of the comprehensive plan to treat chronic pain. They found the benefits of using psychological therapies to reduce the requirement of surgeries and potentially harmful medications.

The study discovered that patients who receive psychological treatment may experience a significant reduction in pain, and improvement in physical functioning and psychological well-being.

“People with pain should feel empowered to select the psychological treatment that is most appealing. Once they do, finding a psychotherapist who can provide this care and with whom they can establish a meaningful connection will be a key factor in obtaining benefit,” said Mary Driscoll, a researcher at Yale University and first author of the latest issue of Psychological Science in the Public Interest (PSPI).

In the main article of the journal, Driscoll and his associates mentioned the specific psychological interventions most widely studied by the pain community that includes supportive psychotherapy, relaxation training, biofeedback, hypnosis, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based interventions, and psychologically informed physical therapy.

In the final report of the PSPI, researchers addressed the importance of integrated pain care and the blending of medical, social, and psychological aspects of health care. They explained that pain-management strategies should be improved and integrated.

To Know More You May Refer To:

Driscoll, M. A., Edwards, R. R., Becker, W. C., Kaptchuk, T. J., & Kerns, R. D. (2021). Psychological Interventions for the Treatment of Chronic Pain in Adults. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 22(2), 52–95. https://doi.org/10.1177/15291006211008157