Behavioral medicine approaches to pain.
Managing pain patients can be a challenging task for many clinicians because of the complexity of the condition. Pain by definition is a multifactorial phenomenon for which biomedical factors interact with a web of psychosocial and behavioral factors. Behavioral medicine approaches for pain generally address specific cognitive and behavioral factors relevant to pain, thereby aiming to modify the overall pain experience and help restore functioning and quality of life in pain patients. Behavioral medicine focuses on patients' motivation to comply with a rehabilitative regimen, particularly those with chronic, disabling pain. Since patients' own commitment and active participation in a therapeutic program are critical for the successful rehabilitation, the role that behavioral medicine can play is significant. It is not unreasonable to state that success outcomes of the rehabilitative approach depend on how effectively behavioral medicine can be integrated into the overall treatment plan. Past research in general supports this assertion, demonstrating clinical benefit and cost-effectiveness of multidisciplinary interventions that include behavioral medicine. Some of the approaches listed in this paper can be incorporated into clinicians' practice regardless of specialties, and such practice will likely provide helpful venues for managing pain patients.
Okifuji
Akiko
A
Pain Research and Management Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Utah, 615 Arapeen Drive, Suite 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA. akiko.okifuji@hsc.utah.edu
Ackerlind
Stacy
S
D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology; D059408:Pain Management; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012648:Self Care