General Resources

General

Pain

Mind Body Pain Practitioners

Books

Priority reads that will edify and enlighten!

Great Spiritual Books

Yoga, Meditation, and Mindfulness

Articles

Musculoskeletal pain and exercise—challenging existing paradigms and introducing new

Musculoskeletal-Pain-and-ExerciseDownload

Should exercises be painful in the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Should-exercises-be-painfulDownload

Chronic pain is surprisingly treatable — when patients focus on the brain. An unexpected therapy shows results. Nathaniel Frank for the Washington Post, October 15, 2021

Nathaniel-Frank-Washington-Post-Chronic-Pain-pieceDownload
  • Relaxation Response and Resiliency Training and Its Effect on Healthcare Resource Utilization
    • Conclusion: Mind body interventions such as 3RP have the potential to substantially reduce healthcare utilization at relatively low cost and thus can serve as key components in any population health and health care delivery system.
    • Stahl JE, Dossett ML, LaJoie AS, Denninger JW, Mehta DH, Goldman R, et al. (2015) Relaxation Response and Resiliency Training and Its Effect on Healthcare Resource Utilization. PLoS ONE 10(10): e0140212. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140212
  • Comparison of a Single-Session Pain Management Skills Intervention With a Single-Session Health Education Intervention and 8 Sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial
    • Key Points
      • Question  Is a single-session pain relief class noninferior to 8 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) at 3 months after treatment?
      • Findings  In this 3-arm randomized clinical trial that included 263 adults with chronic low back pain, a single-session pain management skills class was noninferior to 8 weeks of CBT and superior to a health education class for pain catastrophizing and multiple secondary outcomes at 3 months after treatment.
      • Meaning  For patients with chronic low back pain, a single-session pain relief skills class showed comparable efficacy to CBT in pain catastrophizing, pain intensity, and pain interference and other outcomes at 3 months after treatment.
    • Darnall BD, Roy A, Chen AL, et al. Comparison of a Single-Session Pain Management Skills Intervention With a Single-Session Health Education Intervention and 8 Sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(8):e2113401. doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.13401
  • Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain. A Randomized Clinical Trial
    • Key Points:
      • Question  Can a psychological treatment based on the reappraisal of primary chronic back pain as due to nondangerous central nervous system processes provide substantial and durable pain relief?
      • Findings  In this randomized clinical trial, 33 of 50 participants (66%) randomized to 4 weeks of pain reprocessing therapy were pain-free or nearly pain-free at posttreatment, compared with 10 of 51 participants (20%) randomized to placebo and 5 of 50 participants (10%) randomized to usual care, with gains largely maintained through 1-year follow-up. Treatment effects on pain were mediated by reduced beliefs that pain indicates tissue damage, and longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging showed reduced prefrontal responses to evoked back pain and increased resting prefrontal-somatosensory connectivity in patients randomized to treatment relative to patients randomized to placebo or usual care.
      • Meaning  Psychological treatment focused on changing beliefs about the causes and threat value of primary chronic back pain may provide substantial and durable pain relief.
    • Ashar YK, Gordon A, Schubiner H, et al. Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2022;79(1):13–23. doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.2669
  • It’s Time to Tame the Beast, Lorimer Mosely
  • Chronic pain is surprisingly treatable — when patients focus on the brain, The Washington Post
    • An Unexpected Therapy Shows Results

Documentaries

  • This Might Hurt
    • This Might Hurt is a documentary that offers solutions to cure chronic pain. The film follows three chronic pain patients who have spent years searching for answers. Desperate for relief, they enter a new medical program — run by Dr. Howard Schubiner — that focuses on uncovering hidden causes of pain, and retraining their brains to switch the pain off.
    • CLICK HERE to view with a special discount code: enter JK20 for 20% off the price (for $7.52)
      • Just click “unlock” and enter code (JK20)
  • HEAL Documentary
    • HEAL is a film by Kelly Noonan Gores about the power of the mind to heal the body, featuring Deepak Choprah, Bruce Lipton and Marianne Williamson.
  • All The Rage
    • Using a first-person approach to explore the work of renowned physician Dr. John Sarno and his radical methods to treating back pain, ALL THE RAGE examines the connection between emotions and health.
  • Pain Brain, A feature documentary film that explores a new understanding of chronic pain that may provide hope to the millions who suffer.

Pain Reprocessing Theory

  • The Way Out, Alan Gordon, PRT founder
  • Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain. A Randomized Clinical Trial
    • Key Points:
      • Question  Can a psychological treatment based on the reappraisal of primary chronic back pain as due to nondangerous central nervous system processes provide substantial and durable pain relief?
      • Findings  In this randomized clinical trial, 33 of 50 participants (66%) randomized to 4 weeks of pain reprocessing therapy were pain-free or nearly pain-free at posttreatment, compared with 10 of 51 participants (20%) randomized to placebo and 5 of 50 participants (10%) randomized to usual care, with gains largely maintained through 1-year follow-up. Treatment effects on pain were mediated by reduced beliefs that pain indicates tissue damage, and longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging showed reduced prefrontal responses to evoked back pain and increased resting prefrontal-somatosensory connectivity in patients randomized to treatment relative to patients randomized to placebo or usual care.
      • Meaning  Psychological treatment focused on changing beliefs about the causes and threat value of primary chronic back pain may provide substantial and durable pain relief.
    • Ashar YK, Gordon A, Schubiner H, et al. Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2022;79(1):13–23. doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.2669
  • Curable App
  • PRT Resources from Lara Birk, CHWC, PhD
  • Menda Health
  • Psychophysiologic Disorders Association
  • OvidDx
  • Pain Brain, A feature documentary film that explores a new understanding of chronic pain that may provide hope to the millions who suffer.

Pain Resources

Pain Videos

Being Your Own Advocate: A Conversation with Dr. Lara Birk and Dr. John Stracks

Freedom From Chronic Pain

For the list of videos, visit: zoffness.com

Healing our pain pandemic, ZDoggMD (w/Dr. Rachel Zoffness)

The Truth About Managing Chronic Pain, ZDoggMD (w/Dr. Rachel Zoffness)

Why Things Hurt , Lorimer Moseley

The Mysterious Science of Pain, Joshua W. Pete

The psychology of pain, Beth Darnall, PhD

Understanding pain, Dr. Brian Parris

DR MELZACK Interviewed on Gate Control Theory, Dr Leora Kuttner April 1989

Learning How To Manage Pain During Medical Procedures, Stanford Children’s Health

Pain and the Brain, Stanford’s Sean Mackey, MD, PhD

Neuroplasticity

Spaulding Rehabilitation’s Pain Videos Playlist (5 Videos)

These videos were developed by content experts and tested in a clinical demonstration project. This series won “Most Impactful” in the Launchpad competition at ACRM 2022.

Pain Apps

There are too many to list; I use “Insight Timer” and “Curable” for PRT pain reprocessing therapy practice.

Optimized Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Chronic Pain

Principle Investigator: Felipe Fregni, MD, PhD

Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Chronic PainDownload