Pain Management Resources

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This is an excellent book filled with comprehensive and easy to read information on just about everything I can think of related to managing chronic pain. 

You can get it through Self Management BC for free at this sign-up link for their self-study program: https://www.selfmanagementbc.ca/signuptoolkits . You provide them mailing and contact information and they send you the book as part of what they call a tool kit. They may also follow-up with you to ensure they have your correct mailing information, to invite you to be a part of their pain management program, and to see how your doing some months down the road. They are very friendly, non-intrusive folks with a great set of resources. 

NOTE: If you have any problem with the link, do an internet search for Self Management BC and follow their link for the Chronic Pain program. Register for the "Self Study" chronic pain program to receive the book. They usually follow-up with a call to ask you if they can support you in any way and/or to confirm your address. They may ask to check up on you in so many months as well. They're very helpful! Please know that sometimes they run out of stock and it can take a month +/- for the book to arrive.

You can also get this book from Bull Publishing at this link: https://www.bullpub.com/living-a-healthy-life-with-chronic-pain-2e-g.html, however there is a cost via this route. As books go, it is not too bad, actually. The current cost is between C$18.00 and C$27.00 depending if it is the paperback or electronic versions and whether or not there is a sale.

These folks, as mentioned above, have excellent resources to help you self-manage pain, chronic conditions, diabetes, and cancer. They are associated with the University of Victoria, BC. Their programming is also available in Indigenous, Chinese, and Punjabi communities. 

Here is a link to their home page: https://www.selfmanagementbc.ca/ 

Here is a link directly to the programs they have for chronic pain management: https://www.selfmanagementbc.ca/chronicpainprogram 

The options include self-study, virtual workshops, in-person workshops, telephone peer coaches, and an online program to help you get started with implementing new habits in a supportive environment.

Here is a YouTube video from the Self Management BC website featuring the founder of the Self-Management Research Center, Dr. Kate Lorig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNHSDucRI5E  

She addresses the audience's questions on a variety of health management topics. The first 14 minutes are spent with introductions and session logistics. She starts addressing the audience's topics at about 14 minutes and 28 seconds in if you want to fast forward. 

NOTE: If you have any problem with the links, do an internet search for Self Management BC. At last check, the link to the chronic pain programs and the video were on the home page.

This is another wonderful website with lots of excellent information on pain management. They even have a podcast and YouTube videos.   

Here is the link to their home page: https://painbc.ca/ 

Here is the link to their LivePlanBe+ program: https://liveplanbeplus.ca/ 

Here is a link to their Pain Support and Wellness Groups: https://painbc.ca/find-help/support-programs/pain-support-wellness-groups 

Here is a link to their podcast called Pain Waves: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pain-waves--1987858 

There are a number of podcasts listed here for you to explore. Some are as short as 20 minutes, some are longer than an hour. Topics talk about sleep, masculinity and pain, yoga therapy, Ehlers-Danlos, pediatric pain, sex and intimacy, action planning, catastrophizing, and so much more. 

Here is a link to the Pain BC YouTube channel which is kind of like an online specialty tv station: https://www.youtube.com/user/painbc 

You do not have to subscribe to the channel to watch the videos but it may help you to keep the channel bookmarked so it is easier to find if you are a regular YouTube user. 

There are so many videos on here with so many useful topics, including an 'ask a pharmacist' webinar. 

If you are looking for a gentle movement program, they have a series called "Gentle Movement @ Home." The sessions are numbered and I have found that the most gentle one are at the beginning. Several presenters provide guidance so if one type of movement or practice does not suit you, check out another one. 

NOTE: If you have any problem with the links, do an internet search for PainBC and follow the links from the home page. The YouTube channel may be more easily found by doing an internet search for "YouTube Pain BC channel."

There are many aspects to pain management. A key piece for us to uncover is what aspects are the most important for you in your care. 

For example, you could be mostly affected by physical changes in your body, such as an arthritic joint. Or, you could be mostly affected by stress and anxiety related to pain, including fear of reinjury or worry about how your symptoms are changing your ability to earn an income. You could also be experiencing pain aggravation related to how you perform your regular occupations. There are many facets to consider. 

It is good to start with a conversation with your doctor or nurse practitioner. They can examine your concerns and make an appropriate referral or set of referrals to clinicians who can address relevant facets of your overall pain experience. 

If you are referred for OT or a sister discipline like PT or kinesiotherapy, you may be wondering if we are needed given the great resources listed above. It is a good question and one to discuss with your clinicians. 

What we may be able to do is:

• Provide you with guidance and home programs specific to your needs.
• Provide you with interventions in an appointment that, again, are specific to your needs.
• Support you with additional coaching and instruction to help you as you implement pain management changes into your life. As we know, change can be a challenge. 
• Develop a therapeutic relationship with you which ideally helps us to see how you are progressing over time. It can also help us to recognize when it is appropriate to try a different approach if one is available. 

Sleep

•  https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/illnesses-conditions/fatigue-and-sleep  

Diet

• https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/   
• dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf
• https://www.dietitians.ca/DietitiansOfCanada/media/Documents/Mediterranean%20Diet%20Toolkit/Mediterranean-Diet-Toolkit-A-Guide-to-Healthy-Eating-(handout).pdf 
• https://www.heartandstroke.ca/healthy-living/healthy-eating/dash-diet 
• https://cdhf.ca/en/understanding-the-fodmap-diet/ 

Mood

• Emotions and Moods | Pain BC
• Pain BC Factsheet - Emotions and Moods.pdf
• Brain signature of emotion-linked pain is uncovered | New Scientist
• Chronic pain can change the way your brain processes emotion, scientists find - ABC News
• Emotions: how humans regulate them and why some people can’t (theconversation.com)
• Mental Health | HealthLink BC 

Pain and the Nervous System

• Pain processing in the human nervous system: a selective review of nociceptive and biobehavioral pathways - PubMed (nih.gov)
• The limbic system - PMC (nih.gov)

Trauma and the Body-Mind Experience, Epigenetics

• About Adverse Childhood Experiences | Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) | CDC 
• The Body Keeps The Score | Bessel van der Kolk, MD.

The Myth that We're Totally, Logically in Control of Our Brains

No, really. While the first link comes from the world of entertainment, the premise is correct and the experiences displayed can be reproduced. The second link provides one intervention that is used based on our ability to 'trick' the brain into believing something to be real that isn't and then respond accordingly.

• Rubber Arm Experiment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdxlT68ygt8 
• Mirror Therapy: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Mirror_Therapy#:~:text=In%20mirror%20therapy%20(MT)%2C,feedback%20of%20a%20limb%20movement. 

Pain Reprocessing Therapy to Reduce Nociplastic Pain

This is one type of therapeutic approach that addresses the brain's misinterpretation of benign signals as painful. This premise has growing research showing excellent results for the nociplastic pain type.

• The Way Out - Pain Psychology Center 

Movement for Trauma Management and Reduction of Related Symptoms

This is well-researched. Trauma-Sensitive Yoga is the original approach that has been studied for years and found to be effective in helping people through safe, somatic experiencing.

• Trauma Informed Weight Lifting (tiwl.org) 
• Trauma Sensitive Yoga • The Original Yoga for Trauma • 20+ Years of Research-Based Healing for Complex Trauma and PTSD 

The Overall Importance of Nature to Regulate our Nervous Systems

This is also well-researched. Exposure to natural settings is important for overall health and well-being. It, like that movement interventions, can help to modulate stress chemicals and related nociplastic pain.

• PaRx: A Prescription for Nature (parkprescriptions.ca) 
• Last Child in the Woods - Overview - Richard Louv