| dc.description.abstract | The chronic pain experience is a multifaceted phenomenon
involving sensory, cognitive, affective, motivational and behavioral
dimensions. There has been no single consistently successful method of
pain control and multiple treatment approaches are frequently utilized by
the chronic pain sufferer. The treatment approach investigated in this
experiment used a relaxation technique coupled with visualization.
Thirty-two chronic pain subjects with various diagnoses were divided into
four groups using a quasi-random design. Two groups received training
in a relaxation technique for eight weeks, and two groups started with
relaxation and then were also given a visualization procedure for the
final four weeks. Assessments using the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the
Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, the Profile of Mood States,
and the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory were done
before treatment, at the mid-point, and at the end of treatment.
The results showed no consistent differences between treatment
groups and failed to indicate any clear-cut advantages for either
relaxation or visualization in controlling chronic pain. There was no
consistent reduction in pain or pain behaviors over the course of the
experiment regardless of situation. | |
