Category Archive

Breaking down the relationship between negative feelings and chronic pain Many people suffering from invisible illnesses are initially misdiagnosed as having depression. Although this is concerning, it is understandable given the symptoms of these chronic illnesses overlap with conditions often associated with depression. Depression and anxiety have been reported to be more prevalent in chronic pain patients than in the … Read More

If you’ve been online recently, you’ve seen a new wave of positive thinking. It doesn’t sound too bad, right? But there is a point where being continuously told to put a positive spin on all your experiences can become toxic. A person telling you to just “think positive” and “change your attitude” doesn’t help the way they think it does. … Read More

Most people don’t typically associate personality traits with pain.  However, the two go hand-in-hand more than you might realize, especially when you’re dealing with chronic pain. While personality traits aren’t always predictors of pain, certain ones may trigger the “fight-or-flight” response in your brain more heavily than others.  That results in the amygdala over-firing, causing your body to experience higher … Read More

Chronic pain comes with so many more issues than most people realize. Aside from the pain itself, it can cause mental health problems, weakness, and even contribute to insomnia. In fact, 1 in 4 people with chronic pain also has a sleep disorder. Chronic pain and insomnia seem to go hand in hand. You may have struggled to find effective … Read More

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a relatively new treatment that is proving to be an effective way to change your relationship with pain. For those struggling with chronic pain or similar issues that reduce their quality of life, PRT can help the brain reprocess how it interprets and responds to pain.  To fully understand how PRT works, you first have … Read More

When you have chronic pain, every area of your life can feel like a struggle. It can limit what you do on a daily basis, and you might never know when a flare-up will occur.  Now, more than ever, you might deal with daily pain due to stress and uncertainty. There is so much going on in the world that … Read More

When most people think of chronic pain, they focus on physical treatment. We seek out doctors who can prescribe medications or do procedures. Those options can be really helpful, and different treatments and pain-management methods can make a big difference in how you feel.  But it’s important not to overlook the mind-body connection when it comes to chronic pain. In … Read More

In my practice, I find that many of the people I work with may not be completely aware of how powerful the mind can be. Particularly when we experience any physical pain, our first thought is often what medication to take or what can a doctor do to fix this quickly.  Pain-killers or injections tend to be the first stop … Read More