The theory behind pain relief
The Pain Gate
Pain levels often vary from time to time throughout each day. The Gate Control Theory of Pain (Melzack and Wall) does much to explain why this happens. The theory uses the idea of a gate, which can be open to allow pain messages through, or shut to stop pain messages being passed to the brain. The gate also opens and closes in response to messages sent from the brain.
Activities that can open the Pain Gate and increase pain
- Overdoing activities
- Depression
- Poor Posture
- Indecision
- Poor Diet
- Stress
|
- Tension
- Tiredness
- Anxiety
- Concentrating on the pain
- Fear
- Small quantities of stimulants, such as tea, coffee and alcohol
|
Activities that can close the Pain Gate and reduce pain
- Pacing your activities
- Feeling joyful
- Good posture
- Being enthusiastic
- Rubbing the area that hurts
- Hypnosis
- Distracting your attention from the pain
- Exercise
|
- Massage
- Relaxation
- TENS machines
- Visualisation
- Having a positive attitude
- Meditation
- Laughing
- Even certain foods are said to have the potential to reduce pain (see the
Food and Pain page).
|
Your job is to find and enjoy activities that close the gate more often, so reducing the pain. You can find out about many of these great ideas for reducing pain on this website.
Explore PainSupport now!
