Today I hope to tell you about a program I am very excited about, and recently became certified in, called The Pain Truth Program. This is a 6-week program that was created for individuals with any chronic or persistent pain to help them improve their function and get back to doing what they love. 


Chronic Pain


Chronic pain is the leading cause of disability and disease globally and the number of individuals affected is increasing (Mills et al., 2019). In Canada, one in four Canadians 15 years or older (an estimated 7.62 million people) live with chronic or persistent pain (Canadian Pain Task Force, 2020). Chronic pain impacts not only the mental and physical well-being of the individual, but has a rippling affect that includes family, community, society and the economy as a whole (Canadian Pain Task Force, 2020). Those who suffer from chronic pain often have associated health conditions including depression, anxiety, sleep changes, fatigue, increased levels of stress, and more (Mental Health America, 2021). This can begin to affect an individuals’ ability to function in their daily life including participating in work, social activities, home responsibilities and hobbies (Mental Health America, 2021). 


To address chronic pain, a multi-disciplinary approach should be taken to improve the physical and psychological effects of the condition (Canadian Pain Task Force, 2020). For many individuals this means visits to multiple healthcare professions who are searching for the root cause and its treatment. However, treatments do not always eliminate the pain. The Pain Truth Program is for those individuals with pain that is persisting after other interventions have been attempted. With the help of a Pain Truth Certified healthcare provider, individuals with chronic or persistent pain can start to shift their focus away from pain and back onto the thing that is most important to them – function! Whether that be physical activity, social connection, hobbies, fun or work!


The Pain Truth Program


 The Pain Truth Program begins at square 1. After individuals have gone through the medical and healthcare route and the pain is still hanging around, this is when our thinking and focus needs to change. We need to move away from thinking about pain and instead start thinking about function - where we want to be, what we want to be doing and how we are going to get there. 


The main focus of this program is goal-setting: learning how to create goals, how to break them down into manageable pieces and how to create a plan to start making our way towards the finish line. Goal setting allows individuals living with chronic pain to focus on what is most important to them and work towards achieving it. Goal setting can build confidence and has been shown to improve positive outcomes for individuals with chronic pain (London Pain Clinic, 2021). The Pain Truth Program provides individuals with the assistance to create SMART goals. SMART goals are goals that are Specific to what you want to do, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely by creating a timeline to complete the gal (that can be adjusted as needed). Pain Truth Program certified healthcare practitioners can help you set SMART goals and will work with you to achieve them.


 The second focus of the Pain Truth Program is to help individuals understand and change their relationship with pain. The brain is a very powerful influencer in our body and plays a large role in the way we experience pain. We often don’t realize that the language we use, both in our heads and out loud, impacts how our brains perceive pain and, as a result, how it affects our lives. The Pain Truth Program helps you learn how to change the way you think about pain in order to create a positive relationship and decrease the monopoly pain can have on your life.


Beyond the two driving goals of the Pain Truth Program, the remainder can be completely customized to you. Chronic pain can have a negative impact on many different areas of life, and this will vary from person to person. Every single person has a different focus, goal, and thing that drives them, and this program works to reflect that. There are many different “safety” and “danger” factors that each person can choose from in order to help them achieve their most important goals. Some of the safety factors include: focused relaxation, healthy diet/nutrition, social connections and laughter, outdoor time, fun and pleasure, and physical activity. The danger factors focus on some of the more difficult aspects of chronic pain like poor sleep, negative self-judgement, drugs and medications, poor health, and doing “too much”.


Getting Started


 If the Pain Truth Program is resonating with you there are some starting steps you can take to see if the program is a good fit.


  • You have consulted a Medical Doctor to ensure that there is no need for appropriate or urgent medical attention.
  • Visit https://www.thepaintruth.org/. 
  • Complete the five (5) intake questions and follow the instructions on the screen.
  • View the complimentary introductory videos and audio on the website.
  • If the Pain Truth Program is right for you, click on the button at the bottom of the website to begin The Pain Truth Program.


A Pain Truth Program certified healthcare provider helps you work through the six-week program. You can find a certified healthcare provider in your area on the above website under “Find a Pain Truth Program Certified Healthcare Provider”.


If you have any questions, or are interested in getting started, book an appointment with me (Jessica) or reach out to me at jessica@bodycotoronto.com.


References:


Canadian Pain Task Force. (October 2020). Working together to better understand, prevent and manage chronic pain: what we heard. Health Canada. Retrieved from: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/corporate/about-health-canada/public-engagement/external-advisory-bodies/canadian-pain-task-force/report-2020.html#pain 


London Pain Clinic. (Accessed November 14, 2021). Goal setting and chronic pain. London Pain Clinic. Retrieved from: https://www.londonpainclinic.com/resources/goal-setting-and-chronic-pain/.


Mental Health America. (2021, accessed November 14, 2021). Chronic Pain and Mental Health. Mental Health America. Retrieved from: https://www.mhanational.org/chronic-pain-and-mental-health.


Mills, S.E., Nicolson, K.P., & Smith, B.H. (2019). Chronic pain: a review of its epidemiology and associated factors in the population-based studies. British Journal of Anesthesia, 123(2): e273-283. DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2019.03.023