Psychological/Behavioral Therapies

The sole use of medically (somatic)-based therapies when treating a patient is rarely sufficient to address the complex nature of chronic pain. The risk of iatrogenic dependence, and compromising adverse events, encourages the use of a more comprehensive and patient-involved process. There are a number of psychologically based therapies applicable to the treatment of chronic pain. The most researched and commonly used are the behavioral-based therapies. They range from simple to complex and from brief to prolonged. While it may be preferable to have these treatments applied by a trained behavioral specialist with a background in chronic pain, many can be adapted for use in the primary care setting. Furthermore, a variety of cell phone apps, self-help books, and YouTube presentations are available for patient and family use.