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"TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT" NOT ALWAYS BEST STRATEGY FOR DEALING WITH CHRONIC LOWER BACK PAIN | |
| Contact: John W. Burns, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology Phone: 847-578-8751 Email: john.burns@rosalindfranklin.edu Embargoed until: March 3, 2004 |
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Vancouver, BC, Canada - Chronic lower back pain sufferers try a variety of methods to alleviate pain. Those who adopt a "try not to think about it" attitude often times, ironically enough, find themselves feeling more lower back pain, not less. Such is the finding of research conducted by John W. Burns, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology, and Phillip J. Quartana, a fourth-year Psychology student, at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, IL. The research is funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Results of the research, as presented at the American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting on March 2, 2005, indicate that attempts to mentally suppress pain may actually make patients more aware of pain thoughts and sensations, and increase their lower back-muscle tension during painful episodes. Sixty-eight patients with chronic lower back pain participated. Their pain and physical responses were monitored under three conditions: sensory focus (focusing on their pain); distraction; and suppression. Patients who attempted to avoid pain-related thoughts by suppressing them showed larger increases in lower back-muscle tension during pain than patients focusing on pain or distracting. Of note, the negative effects of suppression appeared strongest for patients who view pain as an overwhelming catastrophe. Because increased muscle tension near the site of injury (low back) may intensify pain, findings suggest that "trying not to think about it" may lead to a vicious cycle of "suppression-tension-pain-suppression" that may ultimately worsen the suffering of chronic low back pain. | |
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Psychosomatic Medicine is the official peer-reviewed journal of the American Psychosomatic Society, published bimonthly. For information about the journal, contact Vicki White, Managing Editor for Manuscript Production,
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