INTRODUCTION

Pain serves as a danger signal to warn us that a part of the body is being injured.  Acute pain is adaptive and protective and usually abates with physical recovery.  In comparison, chronic pain is defined by the persistence of pain beyond the usual healing time.  Unlike acute pain, chronic pain typically has no adaptive purpose and the onset and cause may be unclear.  It can evolve into an entrenched, self-perpetuating cycle of psychological distress and suffering.

In this 2 part program on pain, first we will cover the latest, seemingly miraculous new innovations in the treatment of acute pain.  Then we will look at a cognitive approach to work with pain.

CURRICULUM

Randall Busch, MD                        "Medical Innovations"

Here, pain management specialist Dr. Randall Busch explains the mechanisms of pain and describes new techniques to treat chronic pain.

Kenneth Sharoff, Ph.D.                  "Cognitive Coping Skills for Pain and Suffering"

In this interview, which also appears in our program on the Emotional Responses to Chronic Medical Illness, Dr. Sharoff presents his cognitive coping skills approach. He tells us that there are positive and negative ways of coping with pain, but one way or another, everyone copes,  The concern of the therapist is whether these coping methods are adaptive, rational, and realistic, or pathological and likely to backfire.  He describes his methods and procedures.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Be able to recognize the difference between acute and chronic pain.

2. Be able to recognize the difference between tolerance, dependence, and addiction.

3. Become familiar with new and advanced medical techniques for dealing with pain.

4. Learn about a model for coping with chronic illness and pain using cognitive techniques.

5. Be able to recognize the difference between accommodation to pain and suffering, and tolerance.

6. Learn when mourning needs to be done during a cognitive model.

7. Learn why trying to control the undesirable events of being human doesn't work.