The management of pain requires a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s pain experience. This biopsychosocial management includes an assessment of lifestyle. There is general acceptance of this “whole person” approach to pain management and there is growing acceptance of the utility of lifestyle changes to perhaps down-regulate sensitised pain circuits. The pain patients I deal with are those suffering from musculoskeletal pain – which represents the bulk of the chronic pain burden.
This presentation attempts to use specific examples and techniques to help the practitioner guide the pain patient towards a more healthy approach to life styles in order to help with management of pain states. Changes in lifestyle often involve re-framing of commonly accepted “truths” and thinking which might need challenging to help patients better management their pain.