This Friday on The Broad Perspective join host, Vivian Komori and Laura Feliz as they interview:
Beth Darnall,PhD author
Less Pain, Fewer Pills
Avoid the Danger of Prescription Opioids and Gain Control over Chronic Pain
Beth Darnall, PhD
Stanford
Pain Psychologist
Clinical Scientist
Author
Beth
is Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Pain Medicine at
Stanford University and treats individuals and groups at the Stanford
Pain Management Center. She is an NIH-funded principal investigator for
pain psychology research that is examining the mechanisms of pain
catastrophizing treatment, including a novel single-session pain
catastrophizing class she developed (funded by the NIH National Center
for Complementary and Integrative Health).
She
is Co-Chair of the Pain Psychology Task Force at the American Academy
of Pain Medicine (AAPM), and in 2015 received a Presidential
Commendation from AAPM.
Beth is author of Less Pain, Fewer Pills, and is author of the forthcoming book The Opioid-Free Pain Relief Kit (due out August 2016) and The Surprising Psychology of Pain: Evidence-Based Relief from Catastrophizing and Pain (due
out 2017). As a pain psychologist, she has 15 years experience treating
adults with chronic pain, and she lived through her own chronic pain
experience. She enjoys helping individuals with chronic pain gain
control over mind and body and live their best life possible.
Additional Highlights & Tidbits:
Beth's research and education is focusing on improving access to high-quality, low cost pain care to all.
The
International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "...a
negative sensory and emotional experience." Psychology is built into the
definition of pain, and Beth encourages individuals to enhance their
pain modulation through proven pain psychology techniques.
Pain catastrophizing is one of the best predictors of chronic pain treatment outcomes and surgical
outcomes! This is why Beth is dedicated to treating pain
catastrophizing early on individuals with chronic pain. Her current
research involves treating pain catastrophizing before surgery in hopes of improving recovery and preventing post-surgical chronic pain.
At
Stanford University, Beth and colleagues are currently conducting a
randomized controlled trial of an internet-based perioperative pain
psychology treatment in women undergoing surgery for breast cancer.
Her
work empowers individuals to harness the power of their mind-body
connection to reduce suffering, pain, and need for medications.