Psychological Care
Stressors tend to make pain worse. Pain is both a physical and mental stressor. Pain can interfere with work, relationships, and sleep. Anger, depression, and anxiety are often found in people with pain. These problems are even more common for those with chronic pain. Psychological treatment is aimed at reducing stress and improving your ability to cope with the problems related to pain. Education is one of the main parts of this treatment. Other strategies include talk therapy, relaxation training, stress management, and coping skills training. Stress management techniques include deep breathing and muscle relaxation. They help decrease pain and provide a sense of control over the pain. Problem solving can also help manage stress, which may decrease pain. Another strategy involves replacing negative thoughts and beliefs related to pain with more positive, helpful thoughts. This technique is based on research that shows that how we think affects how we feel. Generating more positive thoughts can make us feel better and improve our ability to cope with pain.Making use of available support (family, friends) and resources can also boost coping skills through positive changes in the social environment.
For more information
http://www.nationalpainfoundation.org/MyTreatment/support_krames_0403.asp