Treating Chronic Pain: Proven Behavioral Tools – Martha Teater

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Do you have clients who describe their chronic pain like, “My back is KILLING me” or, “I just want my life back”? They want a life that isn’t controlled by pain…before it limited their activity, interfered with their sleep, and prompted the use – possibly overuse – of medications. Living with pain and leaning on pain medication to treat it has become a devastating public health crisis that is ruining individual’s lives, tearing up families, and ripping through communities, yet most of us are ill-prepared to address this with skill and expertise. We must arm ourselves with the tools needed to offer our clients evidence-based interventions that will help them live healthy and productive lives.

Watch this cutting-edge recording featuring Martha Teater, MA, LMFT, LCAS, LPC, and finally get the answers you need to understand pain. Discover a 10-session treatment plan with step-by-step instructions you can use tomorrow. You will leave with the skills and confidence you need to provide practical and life changing help to move people out of chronic pain and into active, healthy, and meaningful lives.

1. Theorize how the emotional aspect of a client’s pain can be more problematic than the physical aspect.
2. Categorize the differences in risks of opioid medication use in men, women, and the elderly and the related treatment implications.
3. Utilize motivational interviewing techniques to motivate clients toward behavior change.
4. Analyze the CDC recommendations for the treatment of chronic pain and communicate how that impacts clinical treatment.
5. Propose mindfulness-based strategies to improve quality of life in clients.
6. Integrate CBT tools to change people’s thoughts about their discomfort.
7. Assess the psychological, physical, social, and behavioral factors that contribute to chronic pain and articulate their treatment implications.

Finally! Your Top 6 Questions Answered

Question 1: What is Pain?

• Defining pain: Acute vs. chronic

Question 2: What’s the Brain’s Role in Chronic Pain?

• Central sensitization
• How the brain’s pain processing contributes to pain

Question 3: How do Emotions Influence Pain?

• Chronic pain onset
  • Physical
  • Emotional
• Chronic pain cycle
  • Psychological
  • Physical
• Emotions and pain
  • Often more problematic than physical aspect
  • Anxiety, fear, catastrophizing
  • Why mindset matters for pain relief
• Suffering
  • Determined by the emotional aspect of pain
• Suicidality and chronic pain
• Marijuana and pain

Question 4: How does Trauma Contribute to Chronic Pain?

• ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Study and pain

Question 5: How are Special Populations Impacted?

• Veterans
• Children
• Low income population
• Racial and ethnic considerations
• Elderly

Question 6: What is the Role of Opioids in Pain Treatment?

• Scope of the problem
• The “painful” myth
• Medication-assisted recovery
• Risks vs. benefits

10-Session Treatment Model

Session 1: Assessment

• Goals of 1st session
• Diagnostic options
• 5 “E’s” of pain interview
• Self-report measures
  • Central Sensitization Inventory
  • Pain Catastrophizing Scale
  • PHQ-9
• Collaboration with medical team
• Motivational interviewing techniques
• Best questions to ask during treatment

Session 2: Goal Setting

• How to develop appropriate goals
• SMART goals

Session 3 & 4: CBT Tools

• ABC worksheet
• Thought distortions
• De-catastrophizing
• Automatic negative thoughts

Sessions 5 & 6: Mindfulness Interventions

• Breathing
• Guided imagery
• Personal visualization
• Yoga
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Meditation
• Body scan
• Grounding

Session 7: Increasing Activity Level & Time-based Pacing

• Helping clients learn that movement won’t be damaging
• Increasing ability to accomplish tasks without triggering pain

Session 8: Pleasant Activity Scheduling

• Encouraging clients to infuse pleasure and joy into their daily life

Session 9: Sleep Hygiene

• Help clients develop healthy sleep patterns for improved quality of life

Session 10: Relaxation and Stress Management

• Similarities of stress response and pain response
• Development of stress response tools
• Building a relaxation plan for all areas of life

Additional Treatment Options

• Limitations of the research and associated risks
• Resources