A big breakthrough in chronic pain research could mean a much higher quality of life for seniors that deal with this issue. New research indicates that chronic pain can be effectively treated through psychological interventions.
The research, which was conducted by the Association for Psychological Science, found that one of the key components to helping resolve chronic pain is to focus on mental health. Researchers focused on techniques like psychotherapy, relaxation training, biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnosis, and mindfulness-based interventions. These things were helpful with reducing pain and their positive impact has the potential to last a lifetime, even long after the particular therapies were ceased.
Not only did this team find that psychological treatment helped to reduce pain and improve physical functioning, it helped to make people happier. This is definitely something that all of us want a little more of. It’s another piece of evidence that supports the claim that physical and mental health are inextricably linked together. When one is impacted, so is the other.
Additionally, it should be noted that this is a lot safer than using opioid painkillers. Unfortunately, many people have been prescribed this treatment for chronic pain in the past, and many have become addicted, misused, or even died because of this type of medication. Current thinking indicates that opioids were vastly overprescribed. This doesn’t mean that they don’t have medical value, but they are often not the right answer for some. Finding alternative treatments, like the one described above can be safer and even more effective.
The team recently published their results in the journal, Psychological Science in the Public Interest. Hopefully, these results inspire other researchers to continue this line of study and continue to make strides toward helping people live better, more comfortable lives.
Chronic pain can have a seriously detrimental impact on the quality of life that someone experiences. It’s hard to enjoy life when you are in pain all the time. That’s why advances in the fight against pain are so important. They help seniors–and anyone else that’s dealing with this–live a better life. It allows the people that we love to get more out of their days. If you have a loved one that is trying to enjoy their retirement years, this is very important.
Having a team on your side can be part of this process. We can help. That doesn’t mean that our caregivers can help cure chronic pain, but one of the things that wwe pride ourselves on is helping families get connected to the resources that they need to make their care experience as powerful as possible.
Please feel free to give us a call if you’d like to learn more about what we do and how it might help. Our team of caregivers offers free consultations, all with the goal of getting you and your loved ones connected with the things that will help make the senior years better. Senior care is just a part of that bigger process. The sooner you get started, the sooner your family can start experiencing high quality and well-rounded care.
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