I loved reading this book. It has such a wealth of knowledge on so many different ways to treat chronic pain. I barely scratched the surface with the seven statements I have listed below. I highly recommend reading this book and taking the advice that is listed in it. I will mention that the author and I disagree on one topic and that is whether or not chronic pain is curable. He writes as if chronic pain is an incurable condition. I do not believe this because I have met so many people who can say that they are completely pain free. It might not be a possibility for all people, but it can be possibility for a lot of people. Ultimately I believe that it is at least possible to significantly decrease pain and significantly improve quality of life in all people with chronic pain.

7 Things that I Learned:

1.The placebo effect proves that your mind can greatly influence your body and your chronic pain, down to the smallest cell.

A placebo can be defined as a “fake medicine” that brings about positive results. For example, it could be as simple as handing someone a tic-tac and saying, “This will make your headache go away” and then their headache goes away. Or doing fake acupuncture and saying, “This will make your back pain go away” and then their back pain decreases or goes away. Placebos are used all the time in clinical trials to determine if improvements that occur after a treatment are due to the treatment or the patient’s belief that the treatment will improve their symptoms. 

When a placebo occurs, it is a real physiologic process that can significantly decrease a person’s symptoms. In the case of pain, we believe that this occurs due to a release of endorphins which are the body’s natural pain relievers. This a neurophysiological process that occurs when someone believes that a treatment will work.

2. Mirror therapy can be used to successfully treat phantom limb pain

This technique was first used in 1996 on 15 individuals who had lost limbs and were suffering from phantom limb pain. Nine of these individuals were relieved of their phantom pain. That’s over half of the participants. Since then, more studies have been conducted, proving that mirror therapy is an effective way to significantly decrease phantom limb pain.

3. Your attitude affects how your pain medications work

If someone gives you tylenol for a headache and you genuinely believe that the tylenol will not make your headache go away, the tylenol is less likely to work. This is known as the nocebo effect. It is the opposite of a placebo effect. 

4. The brain does not differentiate between emotional and physical pain

The brain is designed to identify and respond to pain. It does not matter whether that pain is physical or emotional. Pain is simply pain. Emotional pain causes neurochemical changes that lead to an increased sensitivity to pain. This increase in pain can often lead to more negative emotions creating a constant cycle of emotional and physical pain. 

A lot of people with chronic pain develop this thought process known as catastrohpizing. This involves having incredibly negative thoughts surrounding the pain such as “I’m going to be in pain for the rest of my life”, “The pain will keep getting worse”, and “Pain is ruining my life”. People tend to dwell on the worst possible outcomes when having catastrophizing thoughts. Ultimately these thought processes can lead to increased pain and a decreased quality of life.

5. Laughter can decrease pain

When I had really bad chronic pain, I would watch a TV show called MASH every night. The show was hilarious and kept me distracted from my pain. Now there are studies showing that laughter releases endorphins which can decrease pain. Laughter also boosts the immune system and lowers hormones that contribute to stress and pain. Another study showed that people experience a higher decrease in pain when they are laughing with others versus laughing alone. The reality is that negative emotions can increase pain, but genuine positive emotions can decrease pain (Genuine positive emotions are different from toxic positivity).

Please understand that this does not mean you should avoid all negative emotions in your life. You’re going to have bad days. You’re going to feel sad sometimes. The important thing is to not dwell in that sadness and embrace the happy moments. 

6. Deep brain stimulation can decrease pain

This is a form of chronic pain treatment that may provide long term pain relief for those with complex regional pain syndrome, phantom limb pain, pain in the lower back and legs, and neuropathic peripheral pain that has not responded well to other treatments. It works by delivering electrical pulses to areas of the brain that process pain signals. This requires an invasive procedure that involves implanting electrodes on the brain and a small electric generator under the skin of the chest or abdomen.

This form of treatment is still being researched.

7. Acupuncture can decrease pain

Every person is different in what works for them in reducing pain. Some people experience immediate relief after using acupuncture while other people don’t feel any improvement. We’re not completely sure how acupuncture works, but we do know that acupuncture stimulates the secretion of endorphins. It is also theorized that acupuncture sends pain reducing signals along the fascial sheath that surrounds muscles. It works well for several different types of pain such as myofascial pain, arthritis, temporomandibular disorders, cervicle disc pain, and peripheral neuropathy. If you have chronic pain, but you have not tried acupuncture yet, I highly recommend trying it.