Pain not only causes physical discomfort, but it can also interfere with a person’s ability to carry out normal activities, such as:
- housework,
- recreation,
- physical exercise and
- maintaining meaningful employment.
Pain interferes with sleep, appetite and emotional well-being.
It is quite common for people in pain to experience increased feelings of:
- depression,
- anxiety,
- anger,
- helplessness,
- isolation and/or
- hopelessness.
These effects of pain can build on each other and aggravate an already difficult situation by increasing pain and distress, or both.
The Pain Program uses a comprehensive medical and behavioral approach to understand and treat pain and its effects.
Return to About the Pain Program