Summary:

Psychologist Dr. Afton Hassett and Cheryl Crow, OT explore the neuroscience behind chronic pain and how its interconnection with fatigue, sleep, stress, and emotions may affect your experience of pain over time. 

Dr. Hassett is an Associate Professor and Director of Pain and Opioid Research in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan. In this episode, she explains how pain is not "all in your head," however it is in your BRAIN! Because the areas of your brain that process pain overlap with the areas that process thoughts and emotions, there is much you can do to influence pain signals. Further, there is evidence that building your resilience through mindfulness, social support, optimism, and healthy lifestyle habits can positively alter how the brain perceives pain.

Dr. Hassett also shares lessons from her soon-to-be-released book, The Chronic Pain Reset, and Cheryl shares how she developed her Rheum to THRIVE course and program to help address the full picture of chronic pain patients’ needs.

Episode at a glance:

Professional background: Dr. Hassett studied clinical psychology in San Diego, where she received her doctorate. She now works as an Associate Professor and principal investigator at University of Michigan in the renowned Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, one of the largest Chronic Pain Research centers in the world.

Pain Science 101: Pain is not “all in your head”... but the brain processes pain using many of the same areas and structures of your brain that process emotions and thoughts. Thus, our thoughts, emotions, and life context can greatly affect how pain is processed and experienced. 

Tools for Fatigue: Pain, poor sleep, poor mood, and lack of energy often group together and affect each other - if you can improve one it can help improve the others. Saving “spoons” for relationships and supportive connections and spending time outside getting fresh air and sunshine can also help improve symptoms of fatigue. 

Tips for building resilience and optimism: Cope with uncertainty by practicing mindfulness, make time to do the things you love and value even with some lingering pain, and keep a gratitude journal or other practices to help you stay centered and increase positive emotions.

Advice to newly-diagnosed patients: Seek a mentor who can help you navigate, find ways to do activities that feel purposeful to you, and know that you’ve got this!

Chronic Pain Reset book: Set to release September 5, 2023, Dr. Hassett wrote this book for people with chronic pain and their care providers. She begins by explaining the neuroscience of chronic pain the connection between pain and stress, social relationships, positive and negative emotions, gratitude, joy, and physical health. The second part of the book leads you through a 30-day journey to try evidence-based activities and practices to find the ones you like best. The last part of the book helps you customize a program filled with activities that make sense to you and address multiple domains of wellness.

Medical disclaimer: 

All content found on Arthritis Life public channels was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Episode Sponsors

Rheum to THRIVE, an online course and support program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected. See all the details and join the program or waitlist now! 

Speaker Bios:

Dr. Afton Hassett is a licensed clinical psychologist who is an Associate Professor and Director of Pain and Opioid Research in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan. She studies behavioral interventions for people with chronic pain including those that promote resilience. She has published over 100 articles in scientific journals and has over $10M in NIH research funding. She is also a Past President of the Association for Rheumatology Professionals, a division of the ACR. 

Cheryl Crow

Cheryl is an occupational therapist who has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for nineteen years. Her life passion is helping others with rheumatoid arthritis figure out how to live a full life despite arthritis, by developing tools to navigate physical, emotional and social challenges. She formed the educational company Arthritis Life in 2019 after seeing a huge need for more engaging, accessible, and (dare I say) FUN patient education and self-management resources.

Episode links:

• Links to things mentioned in episode or additional listening
  • Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center at U Michigan
  • Afton’s research - link to all research publications
  • Dr Marty Seligman Positive Psychology - UPenn
  • Afton’s research w/Dr. Martin Seligman (optimism) on soldiers - 
  • Chronic Pain Reset book,  will be released September 2023
• Afton’s social media
  • Twitter - @aftonhasset 
• Cheryl’s Arthritis Life Pages:
• Arthritis Life website
• Youtube channel
• Instagram @arthritis_life_cheryl
• TikTok @arthritislife
• Arthritis Life Facebook Page
• Cheryl on Twitter: @realcc
• Arthritis Life Podcast Facebook Group

For Full Episode Show Notes + Transcript

Go to the Arthritis Life website at www.arthritis.theenthusiasticlife.com