What if the key to reducing chronic pain is not to deal with symptoms but to regulate your emotions? A new study shows that brain retraining to reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions can be effective for persistent and long -term pain.
According to RCO News Agency, The study, conducted by researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Sydney and Australian Neuroscience Research (Neura), included 4 participants across Australia, with the age of 5 to 5 years, suffering from chronic pain. They participated in a six -week program to develop mind -how, emotion regulation skills and distress tolerance to help pass through the emotional crisis.
Researchers have found that chronic pain is not just a physical feeling, but also related to the emotional state of patients. It has even been reported that it increases anxiety and depression, and emotion regulation is one of the common features of the disease among the people they talked about. In addition, many people noted that their pain is significantly worse in times of stress. It can also lead to a defective cycle, so that stress can cause more pain and cause more stress.
Some of these are usually known. However, recently a study in the year showed a measurable change in the brain caused by chronic pain, which occurred by a decrease in a nerve transmitter called gamma aminobutric acid (GABA) in the front of the brain. It is a part of the brain that controls emotions, and GABA is the chemical of the brain that helps calm the brain circuits. Likewise, the researchers assumed that if we could calm the brain, we could prevent emotional distress and reduce chronic pain.
The researchers’ program, called pain and emotions, was better in the form of eight group sessions in zoom with participants, a information manual and more exercise sheets, and a mobile app to guide patients in each of the skills needed to develop emotional adjustment.
The research team, led by Professor Sylvia Gustin of the University of Nousseth Wales and Dr. Nell Norman-Nott, performed a controlled random trial that half of the participants undergoing treatment and half pursued only their usual pain treatments. When they were evaluated after 6 weeks and six months, people who were treated in the brain’s retraining showed significant improvement in emotion regulation disorder compared to the control group and also benefited from sleep quality.
Those who treated pain and emotions also reported less pain. In this factor, within six months, there was a significant difference between the two groups. One patient reported that it was easy to implement and considers it to be a daily life compared to cognitive behavioral therapy. Another reported that it has been able to reduce its morphine consumption to reduce pain and increase energy levels.
While the results published in Jama Network Open Medical Journal are encouraging, it is derived from a small trial. The researchers intend to expand their work, and the next phase of the experiments begins in year 2.
If it is proven that this method is effective for more people, it could be a major progress for 2 to 5 percent of the world’s population that suffer from chronic pain for months for decades. Gastin and Norman-Nattin also emphasize that their program can be offered remotely, which means it can reach people in remote and rural areas without the need for specific spaces or equipment and potentially improve the living conditions of more people.
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(tagstotranslate) Treatment of chronic pain
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