Dr LeCrone
03-24-2006, 03:07 PM
When Ed slipped and fell off the ladder he thought he had sprained his back. The day after the fall he could hardly get out of bed. His pain caused him to seek the help of a doctor and begin a long series of encounters with physicians and other health care professionals. Ed had chronic pain resulting from a herniated disc.
After surgery he did pretty well until he slipped on a child’s roller skate which had been left on the kitchen floor. When the pain cycle returned, Ed’s activities were impaired. He had enjoyed a robust outdoor life of tennis, flag football with the children and jogging. Some of his duties at work were lifting heavy objects, stooping and bending. He had to discontinue these activities. Sitting or standing in one position too long was too painful.
Movies, trips in the car were no longer a pleasure. Medication caused drowsiness or grogginess. His disposition changes; he became edgy, nervous and depressed. Ed concluded life wasn’t fun anymore. The pain was always foremost in his mind.
Mary developed headaches so severe that her only relief was strong medication requiring her to stay in bed. Pain from the headaches interfered with her work, family and social life.
For Ed and Mary a new avenue of hope opened up when they were told techniques were available to help them learn to cope with chronic pain.
Ed and Mary were introduced to a team consisting of a physician, a physical therapist, a psychologist, an occupational therapist and other specialists such as a recreational therapist, nursing personnel and social workers. The focus of the treatment was to help them learn to cope with pain, decrease their medication intake, or eventually cease taking any medication.
Some of the therapy techniques used in the team approach is biofeedback and other self-controlled procedures which help the patient learn to relax and break up the pain-tension-anxiety-pain cycle. Physical therapy and movement type therapies help the patient to deal with stress through stress management techniques. Vocational counseling helps patients explore job changes which may be necessary as they were for Ed who could no longer lift heave objects. Marriage and family counseling helped Mary adjust to new life demands.
The entire treatment team endeavors to help patients learn to shift their thinking away from negative thoughts and old habit patterns which kept them highly aware of their pain and physical condition. Techniques based on principles of human learning enable the patient to begin to focus more on non-pain thoughts and behaviors. Then the patient begins to perceive less pain.
For sufferers of chronic pain like Ed and Mary, alternatives are now fortunately available. But treatment does require that the patient be willing to look at his condition in a slightly different way and be willing to learn new skills.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1985
After surgery he did pretty well until he slipped on a child’s roller skate which had been left on the kitchen floor. When the pain cycle returned, Ed’s activities were impaired. He had enjoyed a robust outdoor life of tennis, flag football with the children and jogging. Some of his duties at work were lifting heavy objects, stooping and bending. He had to discontinue these activities. Sitting or standing in one position too long was too painful.
Movies, trips in the car were no longer a pleasure. Medication caused drowsiness or grogginess. His disposition changes; he became edgy, nervous and depressed. Ed concluded life wasn’t fun anymore. The pain was always foremost in his mind.
Mary developed headaches so severe that her only relief was strong medication requiring her to stay in bed. Pain from the headaches interfered with her work, family and social life.
For Ed and Mary a new avenue of hope opened up when they were told techniques were available to help them learn to cope with chronic pain.
Ed and Mary were introduced to a team consisting of a physician, a physical therapist, a psychologist, an occupational therapist and other specialists such as a recreational therapist, nursing personnel and social workers. The focus of the treatment was to help them learn to cope with pain, decrease their medication intake, or eventually cease taking any medication.
Some of the therapy techniques used in the team approach is biofeedback and other self-controlled procedures which help the patient learn to relax and break up the pain-tension-anxiety-pain cycle. Physical therapy and movement type therapies help the patient to deal with stress through stress management techniques. Vocational counseling helps patients explore job changes which may be necessary as they were for Ed who could no longer lift heave objects. Marriage and family counseling helped Mary adjust to new life demands.
The entire treatment team endeavors to help patients learn to shift their thinking away from negative thoughts and old habit patterns which kept them highly aware of their pain and physical condition. Techniques based on principles of human learning enable the patient to begin to focus more on non-pain thoughts and behaviors. Then the patient begins to perceive less pain.
For sufferers of chronic pain like Ed and Mary, alternatives are now fortunately available. But treatment does require that the patient be willing to look at his condition in a slightly different way and be willing to learn new skills.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1985