Jonathan Blood Smyth

Pacing for Pain: Control Your Pain, Reclaim Your Life Jonathan Blood Smyth 1. izdevums

Pacing for Pain sets out how activity affects our body tissues and contributes both to the onset and maintenance of pain problems. Chronic pain is very common with up to half of all adults reporting a pain problem of some kind. In more severe cases chronic pain can lead to disability, depression and dependence. Overdoing activities, such as gardening in the spring, can bring on musculoskeletal problems which can persist over many years. All of us have limits to how much force we can exert on our body tissues and if we go over these limits we pay with stiffness and pain. While overdoing activity is an issue for people without pain problems it is far more serious when you have a pain condition. Pain sufferers are not lazy and typically tend to push themselves to get things done and meet the expectations of others. Pacing for pain covers:

• The difference between acute and chronic pain

• Why chronic pain persists long after the injury or event has passed

• Why you can't use acute pain treatments to manage chronic pain

• How our body tissues react to activity

• Why overdoing activity can result in being stuck in a cycle of pain

• How avoiding activity can worsen pain problems

• How pacing activity can establish control over what you do

• How to avoid the traps which can sabotage your success