Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

Enhancing Well-Being with Psychology129change and thrive on it. I expected new and interesting experiences from getting visionas an adult but not that it would change my life” (May, 2004). As Mike pointsout, “My life was incredibly good before I had my operation. I’ve been very fortunateand had incredible opportunities, and so I can say that life was incredible. Itwas fantastic as a non-seeing person, and life is still amazing now that I have vision.That’s been consistent between not seeing and seeing. Experiencing life to its fullestdoesn’t depend on having sight” (May, 2002b).We hope that learning about Mike’s experiences has provided you with someinsights as to how your own life experiences have helped shape your perceptions ofthe world. In the next section, we’ll provide you with some tips that we think you’llfind useful in influencing your perceptions of painful stimuli.ENHANCING WELL-BEING WITH PSYCHOLOGYStrategies to Control PainPain specialists use a variety of techniquesto control pain, including hypnosisand painkilling drugs. We’ll discussboth of these topics in the next chapter.Two other pain-relieving strategies arebiofeedback and acupuncture.Biofeedback is a process of learningvoluntary control over largely automaticbody functions, such as heart rate, bloodpressure, blood flow, and muscle tension.Using sensitive equipment that signalssubtle changes in a specific bodily function,people can learn to become morekeenly aware of their body’s internal state.With the auditory or visual feedback providedby the biofeedback instrument, theperson learns how to exercise consciouscontrol over a particular bodily process.For example, an individual who experienceschronic tension headaches mightuse biofeedback to learn to relax shoulder,neck, and facial muscles. Numerousstudies have shown that biofeedback iseffective in helping people who experience tension headaches,migraine headaches, jaw pain, and back pain (Astin, 2004;Nestoriuc & Martin, 2007).Acupuncture is a pain-relieving technique that has been usedin traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. In theUnited States, acupuncture has been practiced for about 200years. Currently, about 3 million Americans each year seekacupuncture treatment for various types of pain (National Centerfor Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2009).Acupuncture involves inserting tiny, sterile needles at specificpoints in the body. The needles are then twirled, heated, or stimulatedwith a mild electrical current. Exactly how this stimulationdiminishes pain signals or the perception of pain has yet to becompletely explained (Moffet, 2006). Some research has shownthat acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins in thebrain and may also inhibit the production of substance P (Field,2009; Lee & others, 2009). However, evidencesuggests that psychological factorsalso play a significant role in thepain-relieving effects of acupuncture. Reviewsof clinical studies involving patientswho received true acupuncture, placeboacupuncture, or no acupuncture foundthat true acupuncture was only slightlymore effective than placebo acupuncturein diminishing pain (Madsen & others,2009; Moffet, 2009).Relief from back pain is the most commonlyreported reason for seekingacupuncture treatment, followed byjoint pain, neck pain, and headache (NationalCenter for Complementary andAlternative Medicine, 2007, 2009).Acupuncture is also being scientificallyevaluated as a treatment for other conditions,including menstrual pain, osteoarthritisof the knee, nausea associatedwith cancer chemotherapy, andinfertility (e.g., Domar & others, 2009;Huang & others, 2009; National Cancer Institute, 2008; Streitberger& others, 2006).But what about everyday pain, such as the pain that accompaniesa sprained ankle or a trip to the dentist? There are severalsimple techniques that you can use to help cope with minor pain.biofeedbackTechnique that involves using auditory or visual feedback to learnto exert voluntary control over involuntary body functions, such asheart rate, blood pressure, blood flow, and muscle tension.acupunctureAncient Chinese medical procedure involving the insertion andmanipulation of fine needles into specific locations on the body toalleviate pain and treat illness; modern acupuncture may involvesending electrical current through the needles rather thanmanipulating them.