Staying Ahead of the Pain: Biopsychosocial Approach
Pain acts like the senses and like all sense it has an intended purpose. Pain acts as an ‘alarm’ to alert the body to injury.2
Unlike the other senses, the perception of pain is not just a physical process that results in a reaction. It also requires our brain to make a connection and learn what is happening and how we are feeling.2
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have shown that many parts of the brain are active when someone experiences pain.2 These parts of the brain are also involved in processing emotions and behaviour.2
This explains why people can respond so differently to the same painful experience.2
Biological, psychological and social considerations<sup>1</sup>
The impact of persistent pain
A whole person approach to pain management
To be able to address the many contributing factors of pain and use a biopsychosocial approach to pain management, getting help from a variety of health professionals may be helpful.2
Physical:
- Participation in exercise and physical activity that is appropriate for your pain intensity can help to relieve pain and improve physical function, sleep, fatigue and mood.2
- For example, gradually building exercise endurance, doing things you once enjoyed in a measured way at first can minimise pain that results from overactivity.2
Psychological aspect:
- A psychologist can help you by using tools like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which is recommended in pain management as it takes into account behaviors, beliefs and improves your confidence in managing your pain.4
- Relaxation may include learning diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided meditation, visualization, and stretch-based relaxation and can be helpful to reduce tension in the body.2
- Mindfulness can be included in pain management therapies to decrease pain intensity and help you to cope better with pain that you can anticipate.5
Social aspects:
- Choosing activities that you enjoy will help to reduce feelings of isolation.2
- Using online platforms and sharing your experience and learnings on a blog can help you feel less lonely.2
- Use problem solving skills to create a plan so that you can still participate in activities despite pain. For example, choosing an earlier time of day to meet up with friends for a meal rather than having late nights.2
Conclusion
Pain is not a simple affliction of one body system; it is a multifactorial condition. To manage pain successfully, a holistic approach taking into consideration the biopsychosocial factors, can continue to bring meaning and purpose back to your life again and live a good quality of life despite pain.