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Tag Archive for: Chronic Pain

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The A to Z of OT: P is For… Pain Management

Pain is a common occurrence following an injury, illness, or traumatic event like a motor vehicle accident. While pain does play an important role in alerting us to potential dangers, injury, or an impending problem, it can also become a significant barrier to function as it can often continue long after the dangerous situation resolves.

Whether this pain is primarily physical or emotional, visible or invisible, it is important to remember that the pain experience is real and can be debilitating.  Occupational therapists are qualified to identify the psychological, cognitive and physical needs of the individual and to provide treatment to improve function in daily activities. With appropriate treatment, pain and daily function can improve, helping the individual participate in meaningful activities and to regain or maintain their sense of self.

Learn more about chronic pain and the role of occupational therapy in our previous post, Chronic Pain a Problem?  Try OT.

 

October is Occupational Therapy Month and to celebrate we will be sharing a new series called the A to Z of OT.  In our attempts to further educate the public about what Occupational Therapists do we will be highlighting twenty-six of the awesome ways OTs provide Solutions for Living.  

We encourage you to follow along and to add to the discussion by highlighting other awesome things OTs help with for each corresponding letter!

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OT Improves the Quality of Life for Those with Chronic Pain

Pain is real.  It can prevent people from engaging in activities that are important to them, or at the least inhibit enjoyment and full participation in those things they want and need to do. It doesn’t matter if the cause of the pain is fully understood — the person’s experience of pain is what is important, and is what affects function.  As the role of an occupational therapist is to enable clients to engage in activities that they want, need, or are expected to do, OT’s have the capability to help individuals with chronic pain to better manage their lives.

The following from article from Medical Xpress sheds light onto the benefits of OT for managing chronic pain and helping sufferers maintain a better quality of life.

Medical Xpress:  Occupational therapy shown to improve lives of people in chronic pain

Learn more about how OT can assist with chronic pain in the following episdoe from our OT-V series, Managing Chronic Pain.

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Helpful Tool for Managing Chronic Pain

Pain is a common occurrence following an injury, illness, or traumatic event like a motor vehicle accident. While pain does play an important role in alerting us to potential dangers, injury, or an impending problem, it can also become a significant barrier to function as it can often continue long after the dangerous situation resolves.

Chronic pain is difficult to treat and manage because of all the different factors that contribute to its intensity, frequency, and the many variables that can make it better or worse. Stress, depression, feelings of loss of control, pressures at work or home, and other mental or emotional factors affect pain perception.

Occupational Therapists often recommend keeping track of the intensity of your pain and the activities and/or variables which may have contributed.  Use this printable pain diary to help you and your healthcare provider monitor and manage your chronic pain.

Learn more about how Occupational Therapists help provide solutions for people living with Chronic Pain in our post:  Chronic Pain a Problem? Try OT

For more helpful tools visit our Printable Resources page.

 

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Ouch! The Occupational Therapy Role with Chronic Pain

Guest Blogger Jessica VandenBussche, 2015

Pain is a common occurrence following an injury, illness, or traumatic event like a motor vehicle accident. While pain does play an important role in alerting us to potential dangers, injury, or an impending problem, it can also become a significant barrier to function as it can often continue long after the dangerous situation resolves.  Our brain can also change such that the pain message gets so used to being sent, these can start being sent faster and easier, even in non-threatening situations.

Chronic pain is difficult to treat and manage because of all the different factors that contribute to its intensity, frequency, and the many variables that can make it better or worse. Stress, depression, feelings of loss of control, pressures at work or home, and other mental or emotional factors affect pain perception.  Further, currently, there is no objective way for medicine to quantify pain which can make it even more difficult to measure, treat, and to understand the pain experience that varies between people.

The experience of pain then remains subjective.  And as this changes frequently under the presence of other factors such as secondary injury, low mood, stress, and other environmental pressures, pain can still increase even in the face of conservative therapeutic or medical management.  Whether or not tissue damage is found, it is difficult for someone who is experiencing pain to complete activities of daily life and to fulfill the roles that make them who they are (e.g. mother, father, worker, student, athlete).  For any of us that lose the ability to manage in an important life role, this can cause significant mental and emotional losses and anguish.  If the change in roles is sustained for too long without resolution, people can develop an altered sense of self, causing more psychological hardship which can lead to higher perceptions of pain.  Then the cycle continues.  The current best practice for addressing chronic pain is a multi-method approach that addresses mental, physical and emotional issues plus the effect of pain on daily function, roles, and identity.

Occupational Therapists play a pivotal role in the assessment and treatment of physical and psycho-emotional issues including chronic pain. Through our involvement, we analyze function, work to provide solutions and help break the pain-disability cycle.  We connect people to other providers that are necessary and impactful members of the treatment team.  Occupational therapists are also well-versed in strategies to help people sleep better, move differently, and adapt to disability to reduce the limitations that result from any condition, including pain.

In short, any injury, including a car accident, can cause pain. Whether this pain is primarily physical or emotional, visible or invisible, it is important to remember that the pain experience is real and can be debilitating.  Occupational therapists are qualified to identify the psychological, cognitive and physical needs of the individual and to provide treatment to improve function in daily activities. With appropriate treatment, pain and daily function can improve, helping the individual participate in meaningful activities and to regain or maintain their sense of self.

Useful Resources

Michael G. DeGroote Pain Clinic (Formerly Chedoke Chronic Pain Management Unit), treatment option for multidimensional approach to chronic pain

The American Academy of Pain Medicine, videos to understand pain, its reasons and its effects

Entwistle Power Occupational Therapy:  Chronic Pain a Problem?  Try OT

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Chronic Pain a Problem? Try OT

Co-written with Claire Hurd, Occupational Therapist

We have all, at some point, likely experienced pain.  A broken bone, sprained or strained joint, that killer headache, or even a long-term issue – pain prevents people from engaging in activities that are important to them, or at the least inhibits enjoyment and full participation in those things they want and need to do. It doesn’t matter if the cause of the pain is fully understood — the person’s experience of pain is what is important, and is what affects function.  As the role of an occupational therapist is to enable clients to engage in activities that they want, need, or are expected to do, OT’s have the capability to help individuals with chronic pain to better manage their lives. Occupational therapists have many tools they use to assist people in this regard.

Activities that require repetitive movements or a great deal of range of motion may exacerbate pain symptoms. Even if an occupational therapist cannot fix the source of pain, they can instead adapt how a person does an activity, or where they do it and with what equipment. Occupational Therapists know about different tools and devices that can be used to modified activities to improve comfort and prevent future disability, and we stay on top of the latest and greatest devices as these hit the market. Incorporating healthy body mechanics into an activity, whether or not this is assisted with equipment, may help to manage pain. Sometimes the order of steps in the activity can be changed to make it more comfortable. Making rest breaks part of the activity is also very important.

Fatigue often affects people with chronic pain and can be a barrier to planning or doing meaningful things. Occupational therapists are well-versed in energy conservation techniques and pacing strategies, which can not only improve fatigue but can also help to decrease pain symptoms. Energy conservation and pacing can sound simple, but it can be challenging to integrate new habits into one’s life; an occupational therapist can provide an individualized system and the support to stick to it and make it routine. Good sleep hygiene, which typically includes a bedtime routine as well as avoiding substances and activities which can interfere with sleep, is also important to prevent fatigue. What constitutes an effective sleep routine is also unique to each individual, and an occupational therapist can help you find what works best for you.

One of the most difficult consequences of chronic pain is often its’ effect on mental health. Occupational therapists trained in psychotherapy can provide counseling and teach emotional coping skills. They may also provide cognitive behavioural therapy, which helps clients to change their thoughts and behaviours, in this case related to their pain. Training in the skill of mindfulness can also allow individuals with chronic pain to change the way in which they are aware of their pain in the moment, and decrease an overall perception of it.

Chronic pain is best managed with prevention and early intervention. Occupational therapists can help you ensure that how you do your favourite activities does not cause or worsen pain and that you get to participate in those meaningful life roles (old or new) despite the pain. Everyone’s experience of pain is different, and you and your therapist will work collectively as you find solutions that help you manage your pain and work on the “solutions for living”.