Chronic pain
What is chronic pain?
Chronic pain is a pain or unpleasant sense or discomfort that persists or progresses over a significant period of time. The pain has not responded to medical interventions or the pain has lasted a long time after the original cause has healed. Dealing with this pain over a long period can lead to depression, fatigue and irritability. This can, in turn, affect both personal and work relationships.
Signs of chronic pain
Some of the signs of chronic pain are:
- Pain that has lasted more than six months
- Pain that is worse when stressed or angry
- Pain medication isn’t effective, even at its maximum dose
- Pain that is affecting social and work relationships
- Pain that is affecting enjoyment of activities and ability to work
Alongside physical remedies like physiotherapy, medication and surgery, psychological therapies can offer significant benefits.
How we can support your employee/member
There are a number of psychological therapies that can offer significant benefits for pain that is long lasting. Alongside physical remedies like physiotherapy, medication and surgery, psychological therapies can offer significant benefits.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) can be used as a tool to help people cope with chronic pain. It can help a person:
- Learn problem-solving techniques
- Look at ways to accept and do things despite the pain that improve mood and quality of life
- Plan tasks and daily activities in a way that makes them more manageable, improving the ability to be involved in work and social activities.
We can also offer other psychological therapies that offer non-invasive treatment routes, including but not limited to:
- Compassion focused therapy
- Mindfulness based cognitive therapy
- Acceptance and commitment therapy
All psychological therapies can be offered alongside interventions such as acupuncture, medication and physiotherapy.
