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THE GREEN HANDBOOK Managing Persistent Pain by Alyson Tyler People suffering from persistent or long-term (chronic) pain can feel stressed, desperate and depressed. But what if our traditional understanding of pain is part of the problem? The traditional approach to pain looks for a specific source and tries to fix that one thing. But over the last 40 years it has become increasingly accepted that persistent pain (without obvious damage), could be the result of the brain’s interpretation of signals combined with life experiences (including stress). Referred to as a bio-psycho-social model, pain is seen as an output of, rather than an input to, the brain. We do not have specific pain receptors, rather we have sensory receptors: thermoreceptors (temperature), chemoreceptors (chemicals), mechanoreceptors (pressure, stretch) and also nociceptors (perceived danger or damage). You pull your hand away from the fire because the thermoreceptors detect heat and the nociceptor nerves detect danger or the threat of danger. They send messages to the brain, which interprets them and makes a decision e.g. to send motor signals to move the hand. Pain indicates that your brain has assessed the situation and considers that the body is in danger and that you should take action; it is your body’s protective response mechanism. This system works particularly well for acute incidents – a stubbed toe, touching a hot pan etc. However, at times, the brain may set the pain alarm off when nothing has gone wrong, or the alarm may fail to go off when it should. The alarm can also become too sensitive and go off at the merest hint of danger. Worry and stress can also affect levels of pain, particularly as the stress response of ‘fight, flight or freeze’ increases inflammation and sensitivity. There is also research which suggests that people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences tend to show more chronic pain conditions. Our beliefs, expectations, fears, anxieties, experiences, and social and cultural 14
THE GREEN HANDBOOK factors all affect how the danger (nociception) is assessed by the brain. So what can you do if you suffer from chronic pain? Relaxing as much as possible and trying to manage stress helps the body to think that it’s not in danger. Massage, yoga, tai chi, deep breathing, walking etc. can also help calm the nervous system down. This is a very brief overview of a complicated topic. A longer article is available on Alyson’s blog with links for further information: tinyurl.com/alysonpain Understanding Persistent Pain booklet: knowpain.co.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2014/05/ TazzyPersistentPainBooklet.pdf Five minute YouTube video: youtube.com/watch?v=C_3phB93rvI Yoga and Qigong Classes in Dumfries and Lockerbie Susan Neal Ocean of Calm Energy Arts susanneal@mac.com 07739904328 f: @OceanofCalmEnergyArts oceanofcalm.wordpress.com Teacher, Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs www.yogaforbacks.co.uk Relaxing massage with Alyson (Dumfries) Contact me for more information: Facebook: AlysonYoga alysonyoga.wordpress.com alysonyoga@greenisp.co.uk 0757 9966151 TRADITIONAL ACUPUNCTURE Safe, relaxing & effective Suitable for all ages. Practitioner with 18 years experience. Specialist in Japanese Toyohari Acupuncture & Moxa Jenny Craig LicAc, MBAcC 26 South Main St, Wigtown DG8 9EH The Orchid Room, 34a Charlotte Street, Stranraer tel: 01671 404845 jenny@galloway-acupuncture.co.uk www.galloway-acupuncture.co.uk 15
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