The most common reason for people to see doctors is to ease the pain. However, alleviating pain is not always straightforward. Chronic (long-term) pain is more complicated, while acute (short-lived) pain serves an essential purpose by alerting you to injuries. People often think of pain as a purely physical sensation, and to be fair, medical treatments (such as medication, surgery and physical rehabilitation) do play an essential and necessary role.  However, pain also has biological, psychological and emotional factors, meaning that to treat pain effectively, you must look at what the World Health Organization (WHO) and health professionals describe as the bio-psycho-social model, or triad.

The role of psychologists in pain is helping pain patients to understand and manage their thoughts, emotions and behaviours, to assist in the development of better coping skills, decrease pain as best as possible and to live a fulfilling life.

Psychologists seek to understand their client’s pain experience, and they are likely to ask questions such as when and where pain occurs, what factors may affect it.  They are likely to ask about worries, stresses, sleeping patterns, medication adherence, diet, exercise, social/recreational, work and other role functioning.

Psychologists use a variety of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) techniques with their pain patients, such as visualisation techniques, to reduce stress levels, and also to help the body to relax, given that muscle tension and spasms directly affect the intensity of pain.

A psychologist can help you develop new ways to think about your pain and alter how your brain processes pain sensations.  A psychologist can also assist pain patients to develop new ways of thinking about and responding to problems by helping clients to challenge any unhelpful thoughts they have about pain, and where appropriate use distraction.

How long might I be working with a psychologist for?

While many patients find that they can better manage their pain after just a few sessions with a psychologist, each person is different, and treatment defined for each patient depending upon their unique circumstances and goals.  The goal is for patients to be active in their treatment, and in their life going forward – leading the best and most full life possible.