In our group sessions we practice various forms of exercise ranging from holding postures to slow, gentle movements and walking. Most people who attend the program, especially newer participants, want to do well and try hard to do the exercises … Continue reading →
A while ago, in one of our sessions, I pointed out that no matter what, we all have good days and bad. Some days the pain is so bad that getting out of bed is the biggest challenge you may … Continue reading →
“I cried when I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.” Some of my patients have told me that knowing others have worse problems than their own helps them put their pain into perspective and … Continue reading →
Every intervention for pain may carry some risks and benefits. They key in deciding whether to try some new therapy is having knowledge of your chances of getting relief vs. your chance of having a bad reaction. Given that there … Continue reading →
Not all information is equally useful and not all perspectives are equally valid. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but some opinions are worth more than others. In a rational discussion, any claim about the effectiveness of a pain treatment … Continue reading →
Let me summarize this series: the neurological and physiological changes caused by pain and fear bond them together. Fear and pain magnify each other. The fear of pain leads to avoidance of activity that is self-reinforcing. So-called pain behavior and … Continue reading →
In our pain group sessions there are sometimes people who can barely participate or who say they cannot sit or stand with biomechanically correct posture because of pain. Although the postures we teach are those that put the least amount … Continue reading →
Drugs, injections and even surgery can be used to directly attack the pain side of the pain-fear equation and should therefore not be ignored despite their potential for short or long term side effects. In fact any treatment that can … Continue reading →
Increasing Performance (#4-Pain and Fear) Repeated practice of imagining oneself successfully performing a task leads to improvement in task performance. Mental rehearsal of physical movements alone can actually increase strength. Combined with repeated physical practice of performing the same task, … Continue reading →
If we accept that pain and fear interact with each other in a vicious cycle, each magnifying the other, it follows that whatever may reduce one may also reduce the other. One might even say that it is the very … Continue reading →
As a child I had no fear of going to the dentist until I had a tooth pulled without local anesthetic. Afterward it took years before I stopped flinching at the mere thought of going to the dentist. Getting me … Continue reading →
I believe that for most of us pain and fear are closely linked. Are they locked together? All recent attempts by scientists to define pain include reference to emotion. Imaging studies of the brain have shown a very close anatomical … Continue reading →