In this lesson, you will learn that practice makes pain management. Nothing will change without practice. The techniques you’ve learned through the previous lessons must be practiced often.

A major component of CBT is practice. These techniques work to rewire your brain. They change your thought process and habits. For this reason, these are not changes that will happen overnight. You will not see dramatic improvements in pain immediately. You must practice to see change.

Thought patterns will only change with reinforcement. Reinforcement will only occur with practice.

To ensure you are practicing these techniques, schedule some time to practice. A SMART goal can help you create a plan to practice.

For example:

• “I will practice my relaxation techniques every night for 15 minutes before bed for the next 30 days.” (Relaxation and Sleep)
• “For the next month, I will walk around my neighbourhood every other day for 20 minutes.” (Exercise)
• “Each morning, I will wake up at 7:00am and paint for an hour before starting my day.” (Sleep and Pleasant Distraction)

The worksheets throughout this course will help you practice as well. Print out a few of each and use them to help you practice. Eventually, these concepts will become second nature to you.

Conclusions

CBT is a psychotherapeutic approach to changing harmful thoughts and behaviours. It can be used to change your thoughts and behaviours to improve your ability to manage pain.

Setting realistic goals is crucial to make progress with the techniques covered in this course.

You can change your behaviors to reduce the pain you experience. For example, pacing yourself instead of trying to complete your whole to-do list on a low-pain day; exercising more regularly; releasing the tension held in your body using relaxation techniques; creating an effective sleep schedule and routine for yourself; and making time for pleasant distractions from pain.

You can also change the way you think about pain. This can be achieved by replacing negative thoughts with more realistic/positive thoughts. You can view yourself as someone who can manage pain rather than someone who is controlled by pain. More so, you may begin to understand that you can have a great day despite being in pain. Further, you might begin to believe that you can do all of the behaviors mentioned above.

Practice makes perfect.

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References

Chand, J. [Qigong For Vitality]. (2017, January 30). Qi Gong Routine for Back Pain – Easy w/ Jeff Chand. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1nF1zxVCzQ

Cosio, D.C. & Lin, E.H. (2017, May 12). Behavioral Medicine: how to Incorporate into Pain Management. Practical Pain Management, 16(7). Retrieved from https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/treatments/psychological/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/behavioral-medicine-how-incorporate-pain

Grohol, J.M. (2019, June 24). 15 Common Cognitive Distortions. Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/lib/15-common-cognitive-distortions/

Herman, G. (2020, June 19). “Catastrophizing”: A form of pain shaming. US Pain Foundation. https://uspainfoundation.org/blog/catastrophizing-a-form-of-pain-shaming/

Mishler, A. [Yoga with Adriene]. (2019, November 2). Yoga for Chronic Pain – Yoga with Adriene. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFaXfQpxnps

Mishler, A. [Yoga with Adriene]. (2019, February 9). Yoga for Neck, Shoulders, Upper Back – 10 Minute Yoga Quickie – Yoga with Adriene. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3-gKPNyrTA

Murphy, J.L., McKellar, J.D., Raffa, S.D., Clark, M.E., Kerns, R.D., & Karlin, B.E. (n.d.). Cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain among veterans: Therapist manual. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

NHS Inform. (n.d.). Chronic pain self-help guide. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mental-health/mental-health-self-help-guides/chronic-pain-self-help-guide

Sharma, S. [PsycheTruth]. (2020, March 12). Guided Meditation for Chronic Pain & Fibromyalgia – Pain Relief, Relaxation, Sleep Aid, Anxiety. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhTcG2POu20

WCVB Channel 5 Boston. (2018, April 19). Tai chi workout may make chronic pain easier to manage. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iatP4Ml9gNw