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The Rescripting of Pain Images

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2012

Clare Philips  and
Debbie Samson
Clare Philips*
Affiliation:
Back in Motion Rehabilitation Centre, Richmond, BC, Canada
Debbie Samson
Affiliation:
Back in Motion Rehabilitation Centre, Richmond, BC, Canada
*
Reprint requests to Clare Philips, 4153 Yuculta Crescent, Vancouver British Columbia V6N 4A9, Canada. E-mail: clarephilips@yahoo.com
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Abstract

Background: The majority of pain sufferers experience images when in pain. The most distressing of these images (the Index image) provokes intense emotional reactions, appraisal shifts, and increases in pain. The ability of pain sufferers to rescript their Index images, and the consequences of doing so, remain to be determined. Aims: To assess the effects upon emotions, appraisals and pain experience of rescripting Index images in pain sufferers. Method: The Index images of a group of 55 pain sufferers were assessed using a voluntary image induction procedure (VIE) to obtain basal levels of pain, appraisal and emotion. Participants were than randomly allocated to one of two groups: Rescripted Image repetition or Index Image repetition. The two groups were compared on their responses to their Index and Rescripted images respectively. Results: The participants found it easy to rescript their distressing Index images. During rescripting, they reported dramatic reductions in emotion, negative appraisals, and pain. The clinically and statistically significant decrements in pain were found independent of reductions in emotion. The pain levels during rescripting were significantly below their basal levels, with 49% reporting no pain at all while viewing a rescripted image. These changes were not a function of image repetition. Conclusion: Index images of pain sufferers can be easily elicited and rescripted. Rescripting leads to remarkable reductions in emotion, cognitions and pain levels that are not attributable to image repetition. The significant reductions in pain were independent of reductions in emotion. The implications of these results for CBT approaches to pain management are considered.

Keywords

CognitionimageryIndex imagerescriptingpain-reductionmental defeat
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 40 , Issue 5 , October 2012 , pp. 558 - 576
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2012

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