Fear
 I was pleased to be invited by Scientific American to post a blog describing our work on targeted mindset interventions for pain relief and opioid reduction. |
 Dr. Emma Seppälä and I were pleased to publish in Time Health "3 Science-backed Ways to Relieve Pain and Stress"! We focus on natural, empowering relief techniques that can help you feel better.
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 Mark Johnson has a Ph.D in Clinical Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine from the University of North Texas, and completed medical psychology rotations at Duke University Medical Center. His specialties include chronic pain, sleep, and co-occurring mood disorders. Dr. Johnson has been with the Bay Area Pain and Wellness Center since 2014.
This presentation is part of a broader discussion on integrated Solutions to CRPS, treating the whole... |
 Christine Hirabayashi is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Board-Certified Art Therapist. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration, and subsequently her Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and Art Therapy from Notre Dame de Namur University. Since 2004, Christine has been at the Bay Area Pain and Wellness Center. |
 Peter Abaci, MD is the co-founder and medical director of The Bay Area Pain and Wellness Center, author of, "Take Control of Your Pain", and a frequent contributor to WebMD, Pain Pathways, and Huffington Post. His objective is to teach you how to have a great life with CRPS.
This presentation is part of the broader discussion on integrated Solutions to CRPS, treating the whole person, and optimizing wellness. |
 What if I told you that, besides being generally unpleasant (to put it mildly), pain can also be deceiving and misleading? Yes! Pain can play tricks with our heads and fill us with thoughts that can be harmful and hold us back from getting better.
Here are two of the most powerful mind tricks that pain plays on us (they may surprise you!):
Catastrophizing |
 By Dr. Peter Abaci
If you’ve seen the regular stream of stories in the media about the “opioid epidemic,” the thought of starting an opioid pain medication might make you a little uneasy. But if you are scheduled for an elective surgery, dental work, or experience an acute injury, your doctor is likely to prescribe one – an estimated 1 out of every 5 patients with non-cancer pain are prescribed opioids by their doctors. So how can you make sure... |
 Read about the national needs assessment that was conducted in almost 2,000 individuals across 6 key stakeholder groups in the U.S., and published in Pain Medicine earlier this year. Learn why a major solution to the pain treatment crisis includes better integration of pain education into mental health education at all levels of training.
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 Think of pain as being your “harm alarm,” a signal that is designed to get your attention, to motivate you to escape whatever is causing it. After all, pain—potential harm—could mean injury or even death. In this way, pain serves a useful purpose because it is functions to keep you safe and alive. This all works quite well if you simply cut your finger while dicing vegetables for dinner. |
 With the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) opening its doors to psychologists in 2015, the pain community has been witnessing a shift in how these healthcare professionals are being included in annual pain conference symposia. |
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