Pain & Your Brain
T or F
There is no need to ever experience pain
False
Pain is your body's warning system. Pain tells you when there is a threat to your safety or well being. Like if you put your hand on the stove it tells you to move your hand, or if you get hit your head during a sport it tell you to rest.
In through your nose, out through your mouth
What is Diaphragmatic Breathing, Belly Breathing
Mindfulness shrinks this part of the brain responsible for "fight, flights or freeze?
What is the Amygdala
T or F: if you are unable to sleep it is best to stay in Bed and keep trying.
What is False. Lying awake in bed for a long period teaches your brain to associate bed with anxious
wakefulness, rather than relaxed sleepiness
Another word for feeling mad or upset starting with the letter F
What is frustrated
our body's response to pressure. Many different situations or life events can cause stress. It is often triggered when we experience something new, unexpected or that threatens our sense of self, or when we feel we have little control over a situation
what is stress
T or F: you must wait until all your pain resolves before you return to being active and doing the
things that are important.
What is false. Act first feel change later.
Name a tool that you used this week to help you gain better control of your pain
Pain is Both physical and emotional. name the 3 sites in your brain that contribute to the experience of pain
a. Thoughts (cerebral cortex), controls balance (cerebellum), Controls voluntary muscles (Cerebrum)
b. Limbic System (emotions), Cerebral Cortex (thoughts), Prefrontal Cortex (attention)
c. Brain stem (keeps you breathing air, digesting food, and circulating blood), Hypothalamus (controls temperature), Pituitary gland (controls growth)
B. Limbic System (emotions), Cerebral Cortex (thoughts), Prefrontal Cortex (attention)
How you thinking and feel affects your experience of pain ALL THE TIME!
Name 2 ways to Tea Kettle or express your emotions
what is journaling, art, dancing, music
A moment by moment awareness of thoughts, feelings and sensations. Allow thoughts, feelings and sensations to come and go, without judgement, or the need to do anything with them.
It involves a gentle acceptance of whatever comes into your awareness in the moment. it is about exploring your experience and expanding awareness of your own inner world, the things that drive you, motivate you, the things that get in your way, trip you up keep you stuck.
What is Mindfulness
Name 3 ways to improve sleep Hygiene
What is:
Go into bed when you are sleepy not just tired.
Sleep/wake same time
get out of bed if you can't sleep after 20-30 min. find a comfort spot in room and have a box
of things to do that are calming and non stimulating. deep breathing, reading, calm music, journal, take a bath, use essential oil (lavender)
don't eat before bed
no screens 1.5 hours before bed
have sleep routine
use relaxation or meditation before bed
journal feelings before bed. things that happened during the day, worries about tomorrow. Releasing your feelings will allow you to relax your mind and your body.
know that when your body is ready to sleep it will
You can find this at an amusement park-it can be used as a metaphor for emotions
What is a roller coaster
A sustained stress response, typically disproportionate to the threat of the stressor and often focused
on future events that haven't happened yet
What is anxiety
T or F Making Smart Goals can help you get back to your activities and school
What is true
True or False
it would be better to avoid school when you have a pain flair?
what is False
Going to school even with pain is very important. Organize with counselor, teacher nurses where you can go when you need a break to practice your tools
When your mood is low (miserable, depressed angry and negative) and stress is high, is the pain dial turned up (louder) or down (softer)?
What is turned up
name 3 Apps/websites you can use to practice relaxation skills
you tube,progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercise, body scan, self compassion meditation
the Comfortability, Rachel Zoffness website of resources, palousemindfulness.com, Https://centerformsc.org/self-compassion-teens-mfy-meditations https://www.tarabrach.com, Dawn Buse.com/relaxation, kristin neff Mindfulness for teens,
Calm, headspace, insight timer, Curable APP, WebMap, Rain rain, breathe2Relax, Buddhify, Virtual Hope Box, Stop Breath Think, Relax Melodies.
Overall changes in the brain and spinal cord from mindfulness are demonstrated by this phenomena
A. stress reduction
B. Neuroplasticity
C. depression
What is neuroplasticity
This relaxation exercise can help you fall asleep. Take a deep breath, tense one muscle group and then relax the muscle group and breath out.
repeat with another muscle group.
What is Progressive Muscle relaxation
What feeling may cause rashes, acne, trigger headaches, stomachaches, body pain, illness, hair falling about
What is stress
What is False. having pain or illness is a huge stressor on your brain and body
Friends are like medicine. How can you use your friends medicine plan
What is... text or call friend, find online support group for teens with same conditions (The Comfort Ability)
Invite a friend to watch a movie
start a book club, have a game night, talk to your neighbors, invite a friend for ice cream, start a company (baking, soap etc), join a gym or take a class, teen group at a y or the library
you woke up and feel tired and having pain in your leg. The big soccer game is this afternoon and you don't want to go. You are afraid your pain will get worse.
What can you do to help yourself?
Get up and move around some. Tell myself I have had pain before and played soccer and it was ok, I could practice abdominal breathing, I could imagine myself playing in the game even though I am hurting. I can remind myself that even though I am feeling this pain my body is safe.
True or False
Pain is only physical
What is False. Pain is ALWAYS both Physical and Emotional
Name a Stressor in your life and a positive way to cope with that stressor
What is...
Mindfulness should be done how often to have benefits?
What is daily
T or F: It is necessary to take naps during the day because of your pain
What is false. Napping during the day will make it more difficult to sleep at night.
If you do need to nap try to nap no more than 45 min.
T or F: There are good feelings and bad feelings
What is false: feelings are not good or bad, right or wrong. they are just feelings. you have a choice in how you
express them which can result in positive or negative consequences.
What is anxiety, stress and worry
Your safe place imagery
what is at the beach, woods, field, by a stream, etc.
this place can be real or imagery. use all your 5 senses.
Your Low pain Recipe: meaning what are the ingredients or -situations, emotions, activities, thoughts, food, and sleep for example thought go into creating a low pain day?
What is:
True or False
Pain is always an indicator of tissue damage?
False
Pain is an interpretation, your brains best guess based on the information it has.
List 3 positive coping mechanisms to help reduce stress
What is exercise, listening to music, talking 2 a friend, read, watch TV/netflix, reading, journaling,creating art, make a gratitude list, bake, cook, taking a bath, meditation, imagery, sing, dance
A reason for doing mindfulness that starts with the letter 'R'
What is relaxation
The difference between being "Tired" and being "Sleepy"
Your body can be tired from the days activities but that doesn't mean you are ready and able to fall asleep. Sleepy is when you know you will be able to fall asleep
Ignoring your feelings makes them go away and reduces your pain symptoms T or F
what is false. ignoring feelings makes them grow more intense. Like a volcano they will eventually seep out and explode in unintended and potentially harmful ways. ignoring your feelings may increase your pain.
this chemical sends your body into fight, flight freeze
What is adrenaline
what is Wise Voice? What technique do you use to bring wise voice out. and what are some things she can say to you to help you with your pain voice and anxiety voice
what is your logical Encouraging, Compassionate, True thoughts.
Detective Thinking
, I know that this hurts but I am going to be ok, I know i can do this, I am working on getting better, I have done this before I can do it again
What is a goal you want to do this week? Create a Smart Goal For yourself. it can be about an activity, being social, using your CBT strategies etc.
Be Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Timely
The causes of and most effective treatment for chronic pain and illness are
a. biopsychosocial
B. only biological
C. only psychological
A. Biopsychosocial
Biological- health and wellness focused on pathology in tissues and pain transmission system, genetics, hormones. tx with medical interventions
Psychological- emotions that turn up the pain dial like depression, anxiety, and helplessness that understandably occurs when sick or in pain. Addresses negative thoughts, beliefs and predictions. Targets coping behaviors in response to pain
Social-lack of social support can impact pain and wellness. (family, friends, social media, community, culture). improving your social function and quality of life, you improve how you feel
'Even Though My back hurts I can still do some fun thing with my friends'
What is Positive self talk
Mindfulness only requires you to think of the past and future? T or F
What is false. Mindfulness is intentionally focus on what is happening in the present.
3 things to avoid 1 hour before bed.
What is avoiding HW, screens, stimulating activities, anything stressful.
What do you feel in your body when you are feeling stressed... What triggers this stress response?
What is...
T or F Your stress response acts in the same way whether you are being chased by a hungry tiger
or sitting on your couch.
What is True
2 ways to self sooth your Senses
Sights walk in nature, woods beach, park, notice everything around you, pick flowers, watch butterflies, watch favorite movie, print pictures of these things
Sounds, calm soothing music, nature sounds, rain waterfall, cat purring, white noise
Smells light scented candles, showers with scented soap, dinner cooking, baking cookies
Taste: make comfort food or favorite meal, eat slowly, savoring each bite, notice temperature and texture, drink hot chocolate, crunch ice
Touch: notice textures and temperatures on skin, warm bubble bath, fuzz therapy, hold someone's hand, wear your favorite pj's, wrap yourself in fuzzy blanket
This happens when you do too much during the day and then you end up in bed for two days.
a. Pacing
b. boom bust
c. catastrophizing
B. Boom Bust
Instead try pacing. This is when you engage in regular, daily level of activity somewhere between doing too little and doing everything (way too much) Pacing helps your gradually increase your activity and functioning over time. It is a way to find your balance.
When is pain less bad
What is when you focus your attention on something else, you are distracted, when you are at work, school,
with friends and absorbed in something interesting
Reduces level of your bodies stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol)
Stimulates production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body's natural pain killers
and mood elevators.
What are the benefits of Exercise
Name 3 ways you can be mindful
watch your breath, notice body sensations, notice emotions, eat, observe your surroundings, notice
what you see, hear, feel, taste, smell.(name them without judgement and then let them go), take a mindful walk, when you are with someone, mindful shower, watch a candle flicker, color, wash the dishes
T or F: Don't open your curtain and get sunlight first thing in the morning
What is false. Your built in alarm clock triggers the release of sleep chemicals in the dark, breaks these down to
signal wake in light.
What do you fear when you have a pain flair?
3 ways you manage your stress in healthy ways
Name 2 ways your can distract yourself using brain teasers
crossward puzzle, sudoku, solve riddles, count backward from 200 by 7's, list presidents, name all the stars
complete math problems
Relaxation strategies to reduce stress, anxiety, sadness, pain
what is breathing exercises, safe place imagery, mindfulness, body scan, progressive muscle relaxation,
grounding techniques.
Acute Pain is a false alarm and you should continue your activities as normal.
False!
Chronic Pain is your bodies false alarm system. like the car alarm that goes off when nobody there, or the fire alarm at school goes off even though no emergency
Doing This activity helps make the triggers less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary.
what is journaling
what are your 3 favorite sounds to listen to?
True or False
Emotions are all in your head?
What is false- Emotions also live in your body
Affects your body in many ways. accelerates your heart rate, respiration, halts digestion, tense muscles, makes you feel restless, triggers feelings of fear
a. sympathetic nervous system
b. Tea kettle
c. Adrenaline
what is Adrenaline
What are 3 things that made you happy today
name a distraction using brain teasers/mental exercises that can take your mind off the pain?
What is... puzzles, sudoku, list the presidents,
True or False
It is not a good idea to increase movement and exercise to retrain the pain system?
False
Movement and exercise helps retrain your pain system
The migraine hurts but isn't going to harm your head. having a picnic when your body hurts might hurt but not harm your body, riding your when tired and fatigued may make you tired but it is not harmful.
What are 3 positive things that happened today
What are your 3 favorite smells
What emotion is someone feeling if they walk and talk slowly and their body feels heavy
what is sadness
When you are stressed like when you have pain or illness your body releases additional stress hormone call What?
a. Cortisol
b. adrenaline
c. Chocolate
A Cortisol
True or False
You can use your imagination to transform your pain into something that is smaller, lighter, and more manageable
What is True
You can imagine the shape, size, texture color
then go into the control panel of your brain and push the lever down to reduce the pain from 10 to 0
turn the color dial to make the color as light as possible
change the shape of the pain to less sharp etc.
look at the small, light, flexible piece of pain. enjoy this experience.
True or false:
Baking could be a pleasurable activity that can get your mind off of your pain.
True
Every minute you are engaged in pleasurable activity is a minute you are less stressed, sad and focused on your pain. Pleasurable actvities raise your mood to turn the volume down on pain.
Desensitization rewires your nervous system turning the volume down on the warning signals. What are some ways that you can do this to turn your pain volume down?
Go outside, moving, seeing friends, stimulating your brain, going to school, doing activities
"The longer you stay home and avoid things the longer your brain will stay in sensitive, protective mode and the longer your pain will last.
What are the most soothing things to touch? Name 3
what emotion is someone feeling if they have a big test and their stomach hurts, and are vomiting
what is anxiety
this system readies your body for action. It helps manage emergencies
a. Central nervous System
b. Sympathetic Nervous System
C. Your funny bone system
B. Sympathetic Nervous system
This is great if there is a fire or you are being chased by a lion. But often your body adrenaline anyway and at inconvenient times. For example when you are ready to take a test, or give a speech in class... when does your SNS activate in inconvenient times?
Eating sugary foods is the best way to help your body healing
False
Fresh whole foods that promote healing.
True or False:
Changing your thoughts about your pain, what is going to happen, how you are going to handle it can make you feel more in control.
What is True