|
Theme week 1: understanding pain
|
Pain is normal, personal and always real. Danger sensors, rather than pain sensors. We have our own drug cabinet in the brain. Value-based activities help decrease pain and improve mood. Learning about pain can help the individual and society.
|
Introduction to the online course and to the two model patients who are followed throughout the course. Stating intentions and goals for the treatment. Education about pain as a protective mechanism (72). Exploring the relationship between pain, mood and neurotransmitters.(Open the Drug Cabinet in your Brain; EP Supercharged). Tasks to identify personal values and corresponding value-based activities. Introduction to scoring pain and mood daily via an app embedded in the online course.
|
Appropriate and realistic goal setting. Identification and planning of value-based activities. Correct answers to two true/false statements.
|
|
Theme week 2: feeling safe
|
Pain and tissue damage often do not relate. Pain may depend on the balance of perceived danger and safety. We are bioplastic. Pain relies on context. Time-contingent exercises, rather than mood or pain-contingent.
|
Education about the balance between perceived safety and unsafety in relation to pain using the metaphor of ‘pain works as a fire alarm’. Tissue damage (identifiable on imaging) and pain experience rarely correlate (Video†). The ability of training your brain to dampen danger signals. Tasks to identify what makes you feel safe and plan to change what makes you feel unsafe (EP Supercharged). Introduction to activity scheduling by planning value-based activities that make you feel safe. Reflecting on first week of activities.
|
Identifying ‘Danger in Me’ (DIMS) to ‘Safety in Me’ (SIMS) and introducing change where needed and possible. Correctly answering four true/false statements. Explaining to others how pain works. Identifying a connection between pain, mood and activities using the app embedded in the online course.
|
|
Theme week 3: feeling balanced
|
Active treatment strategies promote recovery. Passive coping strategies are maladaptive in the long term. Healthy behaviour needs small, achievable goals.
|
Recognising stress and anxiety signals (physical, mental and behavioural signals). Association between pain and energy. Information and tasks to reduce burden and increase mental and physical strength through lifestyle changes (including physical exercise, diet and sleep hygiene). Physical activity with pain is essential (Video*). Evaluation of planned activities past week and the correlation with experienced pain and mood. Activity scheduling emphasis on value-based activities in keeping with a healthy lifestyle.
|
Recognising personal stress signals (including pain). Formulation of healthy goals and activities. Correctly answering four true/false statements. Identifying a connection between pain, mood and activities using the app embedded in the online course.
|
|
Theme week 4: your story
|
Pain is normal, personal and always real (reinforced). Learning about pain can help the individual and society (reinforced). Pain relies on context (reinforced). Physical and mental peace help you cope with pain.
|
The importance about reflecting on your pain and the meaning and place it has in your life by taking a step back (video *). Tasks to recognise eliciting- and maintaining factors in (the onset of) pain. Explanation about the association between pain and our modern lifestyle(video *) Introduction to relaxation exercises(Audio-file progressive relaxation and muscle relaxation†) Education about rumination and catastrophising in pain(video †) Tasks on how to control rumination and reflecting on priorities and current activities (distinction between important and urgent). Evaluation of planned activities past week and the correlation with experienced pain and mood. Tasks to identify helpful solutions before- and throughout the course. Activity scheduling with emphasis on taking a step back to slow down life.
|
Connecting life circumstances to the onset and maintenance of pain in order to formulate lessons learnt. Formulating and reviewing priorities Formulating helpful solutions that have worked in the past and in this course. Identifying a connection between pain, mood and activities using the app embedded in the online course.
|
|
Theme week 5: feeling motivated
|
Passive coping strategies are maladaptive in the long term (reinforced). Active treatment strategies promote recovery (reinforced). Healthy behaviour needs small, achievable goals (reinforced). Pain and tissue damage often do not relate (reinforced).
|
Education about avoidance when experiencing depression and/or anxiety and pain. Information about flare-ups and managing these emphasising that your pain can be overprotective(Twin Peaks model; EP Supercharged) Tasks to re-engage in daily life to get out of a downward spiral of avoidance by committing to tackle a small challenge. Evaluation of planned activities past week and the correlation with experienced pain and mood. Reflecting on the most helpful solutions in the past weeks and incorporate them once again; Activity scheduling emphasis on tackling a small challenge
|
Providing appropriate advice to an imaginary patient with similar symptoms who is avoiding activities in daily life. Identifying downward spirals that connect mood and pain with circumstances Identifying a connection between pain, mood and activities using the app embedded in the online course.
|
|
Theme week 6: future goals
|
|
|
Reflecting on the small challenges identified and planned in the previous week. Evaluation of planned activities past week and the correlation with experienced pain and mood. Education that the road to recovery is not a steady climb but a rocky road (video †). Tasks to identify and formulate knowledge, skills and insights gained during the course. Tasks to recognise and prevent symptoms in the future. Formulating a ‘personal health plan’ for the future to continue growing and recovering by using the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the course.
|
Identifying a connection between pain, mood and activities using the app embedded in the online course. Reflecting over the past weeks and formulation of a realistic and attainable personal health plan
|
