Fibromyalgia: Breaking the Pain Cycle

The study goes on to say that reducing catastrophic thoughts about pain can cause an actual reduction in pain for fibromyalgia patients. Thinking about the pain makes it worse. To break the pain cycle, therapists help patients talk through their instances of pain, almost similar to lamaze techniques during labor. Is pain worse when exercising? Walking? Sitting? Or is it better when using coping mechanisms? Do any type of distractions work? Defining the ebbs and lows of their pain level may help them deal with it more effectively. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy does help improve pain parameters. Clinicians feel that it is essential to educate patients on how pain contributes to stress which causes more pain. Coping mechanisms do work. Cognitive behavioral therapy pain interventions prove that these mechanisms do achieve improvements in pain catastrophizing.