Integrative Pain Management

Integrative Pain Management: Massage, Movement, and Mindfulness Based Approaches by Diana THOMPSON, Marissa BROOKS

This book provides an overview of pain mechanisms as currently understood, and details a variety of approaches to pain management used across a wide range of complementary disciplines. A final chapter integrates these body-based and mind-body approaches, and helps the clinician offer the most effective care for the patient.

The first part of the book discusses pain symptoms and the ways in which pain is experienced by individual patients. This section deals with the anatomy and pathology of pain, and describes present views of what causes pain to occur and persist. Integrative care concepts are presented, emphasizing multi-disciplinary approaches to addressing pain.

In the second part, expert contributors describe therapeutic approaches to addressing pain conditions and implementing self-care management options, specific to the various disciplines. When available, research supporting the evidence for these interventions is incorporated.

In the last chapter, the editors model various care pathways based on these approaches to assist healthcare practitioners in deciding how to effectively co-manage pain, including guidance on when and where to refer.

This text blends current mainstream understanding (such as research, and pathophysiology) of chronic pain and integrative treatment wisdom. It provides both mainstream and CAM practitioners a reference tool to provide good and effective information and clinical decision-making on treatment options for people suffering from chronic pain. The how and why pain is epidemic is discussed. The approach is on the symptoms of pain, and how pain is individually expressed rather than the diagnoses of pain. Diagnoses are often misidentified, misunderstood, or multiple terms exist for a similar or potentially the same condition. To avoid this, the text will instead talk about expressions of pain. Pain anatomy presents the physical underpinnings for the chemical/hormonal, neurological, and soft tissue/fibrotic tissue explanations of pain. In the book visuals and diagrams will help the reader understand the function and dysfunction of pain. The material is grounded in research, providing basic reasoning for the body-based and mind-body approaches as it pertains to the theoretical constructs.The pedagogy is introduced, outlining the relationship between CAM and allopathic healthcare, and patient-centered therapeutic approaches as the frame for clinical decision-making. A variety of movement modalities and mind-body approaches are discussed and each chapter will include: a. Theoretical approach to treating pain/how the approach addresses current pain theories b. Assessment techniques: interview questions, measurement tools and techniques c. Treatment plan, techniques, modalities d. Self-care approaches e. Re-evaluation, measure of progress f. Supporting literature