An anxiety disorder and a co-occurring chronic pain condition can make a person’s health more difficult to treat. But a variety of treatments and lifestyle changes can offer relief.

Possible Health Complications

Increased disability or reduced functioning

Poorer quality of life

Poorer response to treatment

Poorer treatment adherence including medication

Increased perception of disease severity

People living with chronic pain who also have an anxiety disorder often experience lower pain tolerance or a lower pain threshold. People with an anxiety disorder may be more sensitive to medication side effects or more fearful of harmful side effects of medication than people who aren’t anxious, and they may also be more fearful of pain than someone who experiences pain without anxiety.

According to the Anxiety Disorder Association of America (ADAA), a comprehensive plan with a number of treatment components is necessary. A doctor will work with a patient to develop a treatment approach tailored to specific conditions and symptoms. Below is more information about some treatment options recommended by the ADAA for people experiencing anxiety disorders and chronic pain.

1. Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) — CBT helps patients identify, challenge, and change unwanted and unproductive thoughts and feelings, as well as modify and gain control over unwanted behavior. The patient learns recovery skills that are useful for a lifetime. CBT is used to treat anxiety disorders as well as chronic pain conditions.
2. Medication —Very useful in the treatment of anxiety disorders and chronic pain, medication is often used in conjunction with therapy and other treatment techniques. Depending on the individual, medication may be either a short-term or long-term treatment option. The choice of medication should be discussed thoroughly between doctor and patient, and it will always depend on individual circumstances. Some people with an anxiety disorder and chronic pain may be able to find one medication that helps alleviate the symptoms of both conditions. Others may take one medication for anxiety and another for pain management.
3. Relaxation Techniques — Relaxation techniques may help individuals develop the ability to cope more effectively with the stresses that contribute to anxiety and pain. Common techniques include breathing retraining, progressive muscle relaxation, and exercise.
4. Complementary and Alternative Methods — Yoga, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, and biofeedback (controlling how the body reacts to stress to reduce its effects) are among the complementary and alternative techniques that relieve the symptoms of both anxiety disorders and chronic pain.

To learn more about the role of coexisting disorders in chronic pain management, please read my article The Need for Multidisciplinary Chronic Pain Management that you can download for free on our Ariticles page.

You can learn more about the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System at our website www.addiction-free.com. If you are living with chronic pain, especially if you’re in recovery or believe you may have a medication problem and want to learn how to develop a plan for managing your pain and medication effectively, please go to our Publications page and check out my book the Addiction-Free Pain Management® Recovery Guide: Managing Pain and Medication in Recovery. To purchase this book please Click Here.

To listen to a radio interview I did conducted by Mary Woods for her program One Hour at a Time please Click Here to go to this interview.

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