On this episode of the Healthy Wealthy and Smart Podcast, I welcome Dr. Beth Darnall back on the show to discuss the role of psychology in pain treatment. Beth Darnall, PhD is Clinical Professor at Stanford University in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, and by courtesy, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She is principal investigator for $13M in national pain and opioid reduction research projects. She investigates targeted pain psychology treatments she has developed to reduce chronic pain, as well as pain and opioid use after surgery.
In this episode, we discuss:
-How both sensation and emotions influence someone’s pain experience
-Do clinicians receive training in pain?
-The importance of behavioral medicine and pain modulation strategies to reduce pain suffering
-The success of opioid tapering in the outpatient setting
-Why physical therapists should collaborate with pain psychologists
-And so much more!
“Pain is much more than just a noxious or negative sensory experience.”
“Psychology is actually integral to our experience of pain but curiously we don’t tend to treat it that way in our society and in our culture.”
“If we treat half of the definition of anything how can we be surprised when our outcomes are suboptimal.”
“Once we have ongoing pain, keeping our attention focused on pain is actually counter-productive.”
“Patients do not want to be on opioids.”
“We need to flip the script and integrate psychology in the very beginning.”
For more information on Dr. Darnall:
Beth Darnall, PhD is Clinical Professor at Stanford University in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, and by courtesy, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She is principal investigator for $13M in national pain and opioid reduction research projects. She investigates targeted pain psychology treatments she has developed to reduce chronic pain, as well as pain and opioid use after surgery. In 2018, her compassionate, community-based, patient-centered opioid tapering research was published in JAMA Internal Medicine and received a national award. She is now leading a $9M national study on compassionate opioid tapering. She delivers pain psychology and opioid reduction lectures and workshops nationally and internationally. She is author of The Opioid-Free Pain Relief Kit ©2016; Less Pain, Fewer Pills: Avoid the dangers of prescription opioids and gain control over chronic pain ©2014; and Psychological Treatment for Chronic Pain ©2018. She spoke on the psychology of pain relief at the 2018 World Economic Forum (Davos, Switzerland). She has been featured in major media outlets, including O Magazine, Forbes, Scientific American, The Washington Post, BBC Radio, Nature and TIME Magazine.
Resources discussed on this show:
Psychological Treatments for Patients With Chronic Pain
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Have a great week and stay Healthy Wealthy and Smart!
Xo Karen