Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment approach for managing various chronic pain conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, chronic back pain, and tension/migraine headache. CBT engages patients in an active coping process aimed at changing maladaptive thoughts and behaviors that can serve to maintain and intensify the experience of chronic pain.
Treatment Approach:
Each patient will participate in a comprehensive pain assessment in order to gain a greater understanding of the factors that have contributed to their condition. Based on this assessment, I will develop a individualized treatment plan that will be reviewed with the patient including a list of pain management skills and overall treatment goals identified by the patient. I also coordinate patient care with other treatment providers so that we are all working from the same page. The treatment approach is based on the evidence-based CBT treatment program I developed entitled Managing Chronic Pain (Oxford University Press: Treatments that Work Series).
CBT for chronic pain is short-term and goal-oriented therapy that is designed to help a person learn skills. Patients do not need to stop taking their current pain medications to participate; however, people who participate in CBT for pain often report that they are able to reduce their reliance on pain medication.