How mood can impact pain

HOW PAIN AND MOOD WORK TOGETHER

Pain and mood are closely linked. Pain can make your patient feel stressed, down, and worried. They may feel isolated or alone. These things can make pain worse. With some guidance and practice, you can help your patients make small changes that will gradually lift their mood and improve their pain over time.

HOW TO HELP WITH STRESS

Stress has a direct impact on our bodies. When we quiet our response to stress, we release the body’s natural chemicals that calm the brain and body and decrease pain. When you slow your breathing and relax your muscles, you slow your heart rate and quiet the stress response, which quiets your pain.

VideoVIDEO

The Mood video has four sections:

  1. Identifying Mood problems
  2. Why Mood is import for pain management
  3. Ideas to improve Mood
  4. Goal setting

The video contains all the educational content, so be sure to have the patient watch the entire video.

HandoutHANDOUT

Chronic Pain and Mood worksheet

Download the handout to learn about:

  • How Mood Affects Chronic Pain
  • Stress, Pain Catastrophizing, and Trauma
  • The Impact of Fearfulness
  • How Improving Your Patient’s Mood can Help to Manage Pain
  • Mindfulness for Chronic Pain Management
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Coping with Pain

 

Download handout  

ResourcesRESOURCES

  • Abdellah, C.G. & Geha, P. Chronic Pain and Chronic Stress: Two Sides of the Same Coin? Chronic Stress (Thousand Oaks). 2017 Jan-Dec.
  • Hilton, L, Hempel, S., Ewing, B.A., Apaydin, E., Xanakis, L., Newberry, S., Colaiaco, B, Maher, A., Shanman, R.M., Sorbero, M.E., Maglione, M.A. Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analyssi. Ann. Behav. Med. 2017; 51(2): 199-213.
  • Clark, M.R., & Dinoff, B. CBT and ACT Therapy for Chronic Pain: How Does Psychotherapy Help? Practical Pain Management.