This 10-lesson pain self-management program offers tools and strategies for coping with chronic pain, finding what works, building resilience, and moving forward despite setbacks. Despite recent advances in the study of pain, there is still no medical treatment, alternative therapy, or herbal remedy that can eliminate all pain for all people all of the time. And many who suffer chronic pain know all too well the risks of over-reliance on pain medications. Only you know the ins and outs of your pain; only you can change your feelings of helplessness and despair into empowerment and resilience in the face of persistent pain and its many effects on your life. The authors of this bestselling book are highly-respected experts on pain management who have successfully treated thousands of patients. Their 10-lesson self-management program offers clinically-proven strategies for making simple, gradual adjustments to daily patterns so you can take cope with chronic pain and take charge of your life. Readers of this book will learn how to: Identify and reject harmful myths about pain Balance activity and restFix sleep problems Leverage family and friends for support Manage emotional response to pain Regain self-confidence Avoid relapsing into unhealthy behaviors This revised edition offers important information on the risks of opioid use for chronic pain, and discusses new treatment options including acceptance and commitment therapy, mind-body interventions such as tai chi, and cannabinoids. It also includes a Resource Guide that shows readers how to access support groups and find help paying for health insurance and medication; offers tips for communicating with healthcare teams and employers; and recommends mobile apps to assist with self-management strategies.  

Chronic back pain has been and continues to be a major cause of distress (both to people with persistent pain and their significant others), disability, work loss, and a huge cost to society. Moreover, with the aging population, it is becoming even more prevalent and as a consequence is having an escalating impact upon the healthcare systems and society as a whole worldwide. A significant issue concerns understanding why, although the majority of people with acute back symptoms recover in a reasonable time, a significant minority evolve into patients with chronic pain and prolonged pain-related disability. Understanding the variables that contribute to chronicity could serve as a basis for early intervention to prevent the downward spiral. In the past 15 years, psychological and psychobiological mechanisms have been identified as important risk factors in back pain, leading to the development of early screending methods (Yellow Flag diagnostics) and new psychosocial interventions. These work by closely targeting treatment modalities to patients' needs. However, many aspects of how acute pain becomes chronic pain remain unexplained. Recent neurobiological work investigating genetic, neurophysiological, and biomechanical processes has uncovererd important mechanisms involved in chronic and acute back pain. From Acute to Chronic Back Pain examines the risk factors and mechanisms involved in the transition from acute to chronic back pain. It integrates genetic, biomechnanical neurobiological, psychophysiological, psychosocial, and socieconomic risk factors. Moreover, the text examines advances in treatment approaches based on evidence from published studies-ranging from prevention of disability to pharmacological, psychological, and rehabilitative strategies and methods. Broad in scope, and with contributions from leading authorities in their respective fields, this book is a valuable and comprehensive work for the many specialities involved with back pain - including those in the fields of clinical and health psychology, physiology, epidemiology, and pain.

This immensely practical volume describes the rationale, development, and utilization of cognitive-behavioral techniques in promoting health, preventing disease, and treating illness, with a particular focus on pain management. An ideal resource for a wide range of practitioners and researchers, the book's coverage of pain management includes theoretical, research, and clinical issues, and includes illustrative case material.

This authoritative handbook--now significantly revised with more than 50% new material--introduces practitioners and students to the state of the art in psychological interventions for managing pain. Leading experts review the most effective treatment approaches for enhancing patients' coping and self-efficacy and reducing pain-related disability, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, biofeedback, clinical hypnosis, group therapy, and more. Strategies for integrating psychosocial and medical treatments for specific populations are described, with chapters on back pain, headache, cancer, and other prevalent chronic pain disorders. Attention is given to customizing intervention for individual patients, maximizing treatment adherence, and preventing overuse of opioids and other medications. New to This Edition *Chapter on resilience, focusing on mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches. *Chapters on managing pain with comorbid psychological disorders (posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder). *Chapter on emerging uses of technology. *Even more practitioner friendly: every chapter concludes with bulleted "Clinical Highlights." *Many new authors; extensively revised with over 15 years of research and clinical advances.

This definitve clinical reference comprehensively reviews the most advanced methods for assessing the person in pain. Empirically supported instruments and procedures are detailed, including self-report measures, observational techniques, psychophysiological measures, and more. Best-practice recommendations are provided for assessing the most prevalent pain sydromes and for working with children, the elderly, and people with communication difficulties. The book also weighs in on the limitations of existing methods and identifies key directions for future research. New to this edition: tighter organization with more concise chapters and a heightened focus on practical clinical issues; incorporates significant advances in knowledge about pain and pain syndromes; numerous new or refined assessment instruments and procedures, including applications of advanced imaging techniques; and chapter providing an integrated, comprehensive assessment approach for any type of chronic pain.