***This content comes from the Joint Pain Programme Journal by Nuffield Health. As a Rehab Specialist running this program, I’m excited to share these helpful insights with you all.
Having chronic joint pain can impact your emotional wellbeing as well as your physical wellbeing.
Joint pain and related conditions can have a negative impact on your mental health.
You may find that you experience a wide range of emotions in relation to having chronic joint pain, and these can feel overwhelming at times.
It works the other way around, too. Mental health problems can worsen joint pain symptoms and related conditions.
Emotional symptoms
It is very common to experience emotional symptoms when you have chronic joint pain. Most commonly, these include low mood or depression and anxiety.
Other emotions can include becoming frustrated and angry or lonely and helpless. Often, your confidence and sense of self are also affected.
A Two-Way Relationship
Having a low mood or depression can lower your pain threshold, which can make coping with chronic pain and related conditions more difficult. In turn, chronic pain can worsen your mood or anxiety symptoms.
Having a low mood or depression can also impact your engagement with treatment plans, increasing the likelihood of developing further health problems.
Some studies also show that there is a relationship between depression and inflammation in the body.
These ‘domino effects’ can have a big impact on your well-being as well as the course of your treatment, condition, and its management.
This program will help you understand how your emotional health links to your physical health to help you better manage your joint pain.
While some days will be better than others, it can be helpful to know that there are many things you can do to improve your emotional health, and these will be explored during the program.
One Day at a Time
The program will provide you with specialist support and self-guided learning materials to help you manage low mood, anxiety, and other emotional changes you may be experiencing.
Some days might be more challenging than others, but taking things one day at a time will help set you up to make positive changes as you go through our program.
Your Space to Reflect
📍 Starting Point
- How would you describe the connection between your emotions and physical symptoms?
- What emotional changes have you noticed since developing joint pain?
🤔 Looking Deeper
- When do you notice your mood affecting your pain levels most?
- How has joint pain influenced your confidence and sense of self?
💡 Exploring Possibilities
- What activities help improve both your mood and physical symptoms?
- Which coping strategies have you found most helpful on challenging days?
🔄 New Perspectives
- How might understanding the mind-body connection change how you manage your condition?
- What would taking things "one day at a time" look like for you?
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