Pain, whether neuropathic or other types, deteriorates patients’ quality of life. This intuitive association is supported by research that shows that poorly controlled pain harms patient satisfaction with treatment and quality of life. However, measuring the impact of pain management on patient quality of life is challenging. Most evaluations require patient participation and cannot depend solely on proxies.

Behavioral Changes

Your life can be impacted by pain in various ways. It can cause emotional distress and depression, sleep disturbance, and an inability to fulfill family, social or work duties. It can also cause you to withdraw from activities that please you, such as exercising or going out with friends. Medical professionals are key in treating pain and may prescribe medications to ease the symptoms. The pain clinic near me helps patients learn to deal with the pain.  Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps people change negative thoughts that fuel pain symptoms. CBT encourages a problem-solving attitude and teaches patients skills they can use in everyday life, she says. It can also lead people to use distraction coping mechanisms, such as thinking about something else instead of focusing on the pain.

Emotional Changes

We’ve all experienced physical pain, whether a sprained ankle while running, a burn while cooking or the discomfort associated with an illness. Acute pain is a natural body response and an adaptive alarm that prompts us to address ailments or injuries and seek medical attention. Chronic pain, however, is different. It can cause mood disorders and affect the ability to function in daily activities. People who experience persistent pain are also more likely to seek psychological care, either through a pain clinic for treatment of the pain or through traditional therapy to address maladaptive correlates such as depression and anxiety. To help patients manage their pain, psychologists work with their physicians to teach relaxation techniques, change old beliefs about pain and develop new coping skills. Many pain management plans include regular reassessment and adjustment of the project as needed. Some of these evaluations use utility methods, allowing doctors to compare treatments based on their overall quality of life improvement.

Physical Changes

A very unpleasant feeling called pain can result from real or potential tissue injury. Pain has a profound effect on your quality of life. Medications are often used in the treatment of pain. Your provider may prescribe antibiotics for infection, muscle relaxants to treat spasms and anti-inflammatories to reduce swelling. Some of these medications can be habit-forming, so taking them as directed by your provider is important. At the cellular level, chronic pain can be caused by changes in your nervous system. Pain receptors along the pain signaling pathway to the spinal cord and brain can become too sensitive. The glial cells that provide nutrients, immune support, insulation and protection to neurons can become dysregulated. You may be asked to rate your level of daily functioning, sleep quality, and mood to gauge how pain treatment has affected your quality of life. Utility methods help evaluate the relative value of different treatments by comparing their improvement in overall utility (i.e., quality of life and symptom distress).

Social Changes

Pain affects a person’s quality of life in virtually all areas. It can erode work and social relationships, reduce the ability to perform self-care tasks and hinder the fulfillment of family, societal and professional roles. Effective analgesic therapy can significantly improve quality of life. Psychologists are important partners in the treatment of pain. They are involved in researching how patients and healthcare providers interact, including how internal biases influence how medical professionals treat people with pain. A psychologist can also help with emotional changes that occur during pain treatment. These can include learning to cope with pain in ways that do not increase its severity. For example, someone who derives value from their physical strength may experience more severe depression if they have to give up this aspect of their identity. Psychologists can advise on how to address this issue and teach coping skills. They can also offer support during times of relapse.