Pain Management: Psychological & Non-pharmacological Approaches

Fulfills: Michigan requirement for pain management

Pain is a complex phenomenon that presents significant challenges to multiple aspects of physical, psychological and occupational functioning. As medical intervention frequently cannot resolve pain completely, there is a need for complimentary approaches to management of chronic pain, including psychological intervention.

This introductory level course, comprised of 2 published articles, begins with an overview of 4 modalities of psychological interventions for persons experiencing chronic pain. The article discusses both appropriate uses as well as efficacy. The second article explores the concept of “self-healing” in the context of musculoskeletal pain. A review of traditional versus complementary/alternative approaches is presented, along with a description of variables contributing to chronic pain. This is followed by a discussion of what constitutes self-healing, various proposed mechanisms, and specific psychological and other complementary approaches to pain management that have been shown to result in positive outcomes.