A highly engaging book, empowering the reader to begin to take control over their chronic pain

Overcoming Chronic Pain: A self-help guide using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques

Authors: Frances Cole, Helen MacDonald, Catherine Carus, Hazel Howden-Leach

Little Brown 2019, Second edition

Overcoming chronic pain - a self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques is a very readable and relatable book offering a flexible approach on how to access its various elements in order for the reader to get the most personal benefit.

Case studies enable the book to be more than just a set of information and strategies to understand and do, as they create the opportunity for the reader to self-identify with the challenges of others experiencing pain. These case studies are then integrated into the pain management strategies to support and encourage their use.

Section one provides easy to understand yet detailed information on what chronic pain is; covering pain systems, the importance of differentiating between acute pain and chronic pain, yet framing this in the context of the impact of pain on the whole person and their family.

Section two uses the person-centred model to demonstrate how the use of a pain management strategy, however small it may seem, can have a positive impact on multiple areas of the reader’s life. The reader is encouraged to develop their own pain formulation to guide areas of importance to them and then possible strategies to try.
Steve from one case study identified that it was really important for him to be active and got great benefit from using the goal ladder strategy, to achieve washing his car. He knew that he might have setbacks and barriers to his goal but by taking one step at a time he achieved it.

Another case study uses Jim to help the reader identify that his pacing style is overactive which leads to an increase in his pain and irritability. The reader is given the task of making suggestions to help him improve his pacing and then use this learning to identify their own pacing style and ways to pace better.

Steve's case study is used further in the book in the chapter ‘Pain, relationships and communication’ to explore the impact of pain on others close to you. Steve's pain impacted his mood, he would sometimes shout and this distressed him afterwards as his partner was so caring. His situation is used to show how a conversation with his partner about this might be initiated.

A highly engaging book, empowering the reader to take control over their chronic pain.

Ruth Cowlishaw Specialist Occupational Therapist
BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy MRCOT, MBAOT