New Treatment Pathway Proposed for Chronic Widespread Pain
In December of 2013, the British Pain Society published a recommended pathway for the treatment of chronic widespread pain, such as in fibromyalgia.
Founded on research and departing from standard medical practice, the proposed pathway could mean hope for patients who have been suffering in part due to dead-end treatments.
Researchers are hard at work trying to identify causes of and reliable treatments for fibromyalgia, but until causes and treatments are found, patients will continue to flounder in the touch-and-go world of chronic pain management unless different approaches are adopted.
The following are the main points made by the British Pain Society that depart form current medical thinking: 1.
Emphasize information.
Patients should have an understanding of what their condition is.
Of course, this is difficult with a nebulous condition like widespread chronic pain, but the researchers emphasized that an explicit acknowledgement that the pain is real and not "all in the patient's head" and that it has a real impact on the patient's life are valuable.
Any information the patient can have is beneficial.
2.
Cut out the opioids and antidepressants.
Both of these classes of drugs have a poor track record in helping people with fibromyalgia manage pain.
Opioids in particular pose serious long-term risks, including abuse and overdose, which may be fatal.
3.
Introduce cognitive behavioral therapy early.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an immensely powerful tool in pain management, and its efficacy has been confirmed time and again throughout the literature.
However, it's often not used until the second phase of treatment.
The British Pain Society recommends using CBT as a first line of defense along with other methods.
The therapy helps patients cope mentally and emotionally with their condition.
The way we think and feel influences our physical experience of pain.
Also, CBT can address negative thinking patterns that may prevent patients from pursuing proactive treatments.
For more on the proposed pathway, see http://bja.
oxfordjournals.
org/content/early/2013/11/05/bja.
aet351.
full.
Until guidelines such as these are adopted by the medical community, the best thing patients with widespread pain can do is to find a medical professional who is willing to work with them to develop a plan that avoids common pitfalls and, if possible, will refer them to a CBT practitioner early on.
Patients need medical professionals who take their conditions seriously and will work to develop individualized treatment plans.
While standard practice centers on pharmacological methods, the British Pain Society suggests we ease up on the drugs and rely on more conservative measures.
Given the failure of conventional pain management plans to effectively manage pain for many patients, there's nothing to lose in trying out a different path.
Founded on research and departing from standard medical practice, the proposed pathway could mean hope for patients who have been suffering in part due to dead-end treatments.
Researchers are hard at work trying to identify causes of and reliable treatments for fibromyalgia, but until causes and treatments are found, patients will continue to flounder in the touch-and-go world of chronic pain management unless different approaches are adopted.
The following are the main points made by the British Pain Society that depart form current medical thinking: 1.
Emphasize information.
Patients should have an understanding of what their condition is.
Of course, this is difficult with a nebulous condition like widespread chronic pain, but the researchers emphasized that an explicit acknowledgement that the pain is real and not "all in the patient's head" and that it has a real impact on the patient's life are valuable.
Any information the patient can have is beneficial.
2.
Cut out the opioids and antidepressants.
Both of these classes of drugs have a poor track record in helping people with fibromyalgia manage pain.
Opioids in particular pose serious long-term risks, including abuse and overdose, which may be fatal.
3.
Introduce cognitive behavioral therapy early.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an immensely powerful tool in pain management, and its efficacy has been confirmed time and again throughout the literature.
However, it's often not used until the second phase of treatment.
The British Pain Society recommends using CBT as a first line of defense along with other methods.
The therapy helps patients cope mentally and emotionally with their condition.
The way we think and feel influences our physical experience of pain.
Also, CBT can address negative thinking patterns that may prevent patients from pursuing proactive treatments.
For more on the proposed pathway, see http://bja.
oxfordjournals.
org/content/early/2013/11/05/bja.
aet351.
full.
Until guidelines such as these are adopted by the medical community, the best thing patients with widespread pain can do is to find a medical professional who is willing to work with them to develop a plan that avoids common pitfalls and, if possible, will refer them to a CBT practitioner early on.
Patients need medical professionals who take their conditions seriously and will work to develop individualized treatment plans.
While standard practice centers on pharmacological methods, the British Pain Society suggests we ease up on the drugs and rely on more conservative measures.
Given the failure of conventional pain management plans to effectively manage pain for many patients, there's nothing to lose in trying out a different path.
