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On this week\\u2019s episode, I share the first part of my talk with Dr. Bronnie Thompson from one year ago on chronic pain management which will change the way you practice. Dr. Thompson has worked in the field of chronic pain management, helping people develop \\u2018self management\\u2019 skills for 20 years and has a passion to help people experiencing chronic health problems achieve their potential.

In this episode, we discuss:

-How to learn to live well despite chronic pain and her research on the 3 phases to reoccupy your self-concept

-How to incorporate values based pain management into your practice

-The value of motivational interviewing, the specifics of implementation, and why it\\u2019s not always about pain

-Why patience is key to a person-centered practice

-And so much more!

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Healthcare providers should address the nature of chronic pain and the goal of treatment should be to educate patients on how to understand and manage their pain. Dr. Thompson found that for patients with chronic pain, \\u201cHearing that this pain is likely to remain was a really important turning point for all the participants. So they stopped that search for the cure.\\u201d

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Dr. Thompson promotes a psychosocial approach to learning to live well with chronic pain and making new sense of your self-concept.\\xa0\\xa0 Dr. Thompson states, \\u201cWhen pain comes on, life becomes incoherent\\u2014it doesn\\u2019t make sense anymore. Your self-concept, the person that you think you are, suddenly goes. You can\'t rely on yourself to do the things that you used to be able to do and the expectations you have of yourself disappear. For a long time, people are sustained on this search to go back to the person they used to be. But 5, 10, 15 years later, they are never going to be that person. It\\u2019s about saying, \\u2018Who can I be now?\\u2019 The process of learning to live well is about recognizing, \\u2018I do need to let go of that desire to go back to my old self and look to build this new person.\\u2019\\u201d

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One of the key aspects of learning to live with chronic pain is to find a sense of community and begin building new meaning in your life. Dr. Thompson states, \\u201cCarrying that invisible sort of separation, \\u2018I\\u2019m not who I used to be, I feel like I\\u2019m not who I used to be and yet nobody can see that\\u2019 is so isolating. It\\u2019s unbelievably isolating. To be able to say, \\u2018I can connect,\\u2019\\u2014what you do connects you with other people, the way you dress, the way you happen to tidy your house or not, the way that you drive\\u2014you\\u2019re going to look at other people and you\\u2019re going to say I\'m like them or I\'m different from them and that\\u2019s how we find our way.\\u201d

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For more about Dr. Thompson:

I trained as an occupational therapist, and graduated in 1984. Since then I\\u2019ve continued study at postgraduate level and my papers have included business skills, ergonomics, mental health therapies, and psychology. I completed by Masters in Psychology in 1999, and started my PhD in 2007. I\\u2019ve now finished my thesis (yay!) and can call myself Dr, or as my kids call me, Dr Mum.

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I have a passion to help people experiencing chronic health problems achieve their potential. I have worked in the field of chronic pain management, helping people develop \\u2018self management\\u2019 skills for 20 years. Many of the skills are directly applicable to people with other health conditions.

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My way of working: collaboratively \\u2013 all people have limitations and vulnerabilities \\u2013 as well as strengths and potential. I use a cognitive and behavioural approach \\u2013 therapy isn\\u2019t helpful unless there are visible changes! I don\\u2019t use this approach exclusively, because it is necessary to \\u2018borrow\\u2019 at times from other approaches, but I encourage ongoing evaluation of everything that is put forward as \\u2018therapy\\u2019. I\\u2019m especially drawn to what\\u2019s known as third wave CBT, things like mindfulness, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and occupation.

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I\\u2019m also an educator. I take this role very seriously \\u2013 it is as important to health care as research and clinical skill. I offer an active knowledge of the latest research, integrated with current clinical practice, and communicated to clinicians working directly with people experiencing chronic ill health. I\\u2019m a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Orthopaedic surgery & Musculoskeletal Medicine at the University of Otago Christchurch Health Sciences.

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I also offer courses, training and supervision for therapists working with people experiencing chronic ill health.

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Check out her blog HealthSkills for more great resources and follow Dr. Thompson on twitter,\\xa0facebook, and\\xa0LinkedIn.

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Thanks for listening and subscribing to the podcast! Make sure to connect with me on twitter and facebook to stay updated on all of the latest! Show your support for the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes!

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Have a great week and stay Healthy Wealthy and Smart!

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Xo Karen

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P.S. Do you want to be a stand out podcast guest? Make sure to grab the tools from the FREE eBook on the home page! Check out my latest blog post on The Do\'s and Don\'ts of Social Media!

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P.S.S.\\xa0Check out the inaugural Women in PT Summit\\xa0here!\\xa0Sign up now as space is limited!