The life that I could still live, I should live." — Carl Jung, The Red Book
After 50 years of chronic pain, amazingly, things began to change.
MR. TANAKA - A 67-YEAR-OLD JAPANESE MAN tortured by chronic pain for 50 years, crippled by 30 spinal surgeries, and confined to a wheelchair - finally lost hope and tried to kill himself. Fortunately, he failed. Dr. Kotaro Fujioka, the doctor who treated him afterward, tried everything to reduce the man's suffering. Nothing worked. Having exhausted his medical options, Fujioka switched gears.
Believing his patient had sufficient psychological resources to alleviate his own suffering, to some extent at least, the doctor decided to try a new "solution-focused" intervention he was learning at the time. Instead of hammering helplessly at the problem - the pain itself - Fujioka encouraged Tanaka to notice exceptions to the problem - times, however brief, when his pain was less severe. Or absent altogether.
"When you feel even a little bit more comfortable," he suggested, "please remember that occasion, and notice why and how it occurs."
Believing his patient had sufficient psychological resources to alleviate his own suffering, to some extent at least, the doctor decided to try a new "solution-focused" intervention he was learning at the time. Instead of hammering helplessly at the problem - the pain itself - Fujioka encouraged Tanaka to notice exceptions to the problem - times, however brief, when his pain was less severe. Or absent altogether.
"When you feel even a little bit more comfortable," he suggested, "please remember that occasion, and notice why and how it occurs."
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The Power of a Single Exception to Pain
A few weeks later, Tanaka smiled at his gently persistent doctor. "Since you began asking about times when I feel better," he said, "I've been paying attention. A couple days ago, I stopped at the park along the river, ate a sandwich, and tossed bread crumbs to the pigeons. I really enjoyed watching them go after those crumbs. And, you know, while I was doing that I didn't have any pain at all!" Shortly after this small, yet ultimately transformative breakthrough, Tanaka noted that the amount of time he went without pain began to increase. Was he actually hurting less or had he simply become aware - for the first time - how often he was already not in pain? In any case, it made a real difference. He started fishing at the park, and gardening at home. He took a long-overdue vacation with his wife. And seven years later, improvements in the quality of Mr. Tanaka's life and health continued to occur. Despite the presence of chronic pain.* Yes, pain sucks. But life goes on. Mr. Tanaka decided that the life he could still live, he should live. And he did. Notice how it all began with a subtle shift of focus from what's wrong to what's right. |
Surprisingly, the seeds of the solution you're seeking already lie hidden in the soil of your own experience. All you need to do is find, water, and let them grow.
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Introducing Solution-Focused Chronic Pain Management (SFCPM)™
This story illustrates the power of what I call Solution-Focused Chronic Pain Management (SFCPM) - a deceptively simple, counter-intuitive, yet surprisingly empowering approach to positive behavioral change based on the principles of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), an evidence-based practice with decades of success. It's how I manage my own chronic pain. I'd like to share it with you.
This story illustrates the power of what I call Solution-Focused Chronic Pain Management (SFCPM) - a deceptively simple, counter-intuitive, yet surprisingly empowering approach to positive behavioral change based on the principles of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), an evidence-based practice with decades of success. It's how I manage my own chronic pain. I'd like to share it with you.
Jay E. Valusek, M.S., M.Ed., CPPC, Chronic Pain Wellness Coach & Educator
Centura Health Integrative Medicine, Longmont United Hospital
Longmont, Colorado, USA
Centura Health Integrative Medicine, Longmont United Hospital
Longmont, Colorado, USA
* Retold from Tales of Solutions: A Collection of Hope-Inspiring Stories (2001) by Insoo Kim Berg and Yvonne Dolan. For the full story, see Solution-Focused Stories.
Adult Education Programs
Training programs in SFCPM are now available in two formats: one-day workshops, and five-week courses.
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Support Group
Chronic pain can be isolating. Studies show that people highly value social support as they pursue change.
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Private Sessions
Private sessions are available for individuals who prefer more time, personal attention, or confidentiality.
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