Comfort Over Pain  in Pregnancy Lenore Charles, CNM, DNP
What is your pain like?
How has your pain affected you?
What do you believe caused your pain?
In what ways do you think your pain is a danger to you?
What makes your pain worse? Stress Loneliness Lack of support Not enough sleep How can you change these things?
What do you expect from the Comfort Over Pain in Pregnancy Study?
Three Legged Stool Medication  Mind/Body Healing  Surgery
First, deal with the cause of the pain… instead of covering it up.
Reframing Pain
Frame of Reference Summer 2007, Washington, DC Dinner party on the patio A hooded intruder appeared Held a 14 year old guest at gunpoint
Fear Pain Victim Terror Helplessness
Frame Breaking  by Cristina Rowan We were just finishing dinner.  Why don’t you have a glass of wine with us? The intruder had a sip of their Chateau Malescot St-Exupery and said, “Damn, that’s good wine.” The girl’s father told the intruder to take the whole glass, and Rowan offered him the bottle. The robber, with his hood down, took another sip and a bite of Camembert cheese.  He put the gun in his sweatpants. “  I think I may have come to the wrong house,” the intruder said before apologizing.  “Can I get a hug?” Rowan stood up and wrapped her arms around the would-be robber.  The other guests followed. The man walked away a few moments later with a filled crystal wine glass, but nothing was stolen, and no one was hurt.  Police were called to the scene and found the empty wine glass unbroken on the ground in the alley behind the house  Associated Press, 2007
What Happened???? It all started with one little thought being re-framed in the mind of one person…   But resulted in a real, measurable, (huge) physical change in the lives of  several people!
Reframing Examples Pain is terrifying “ No pain no gain” “ Go for the burn”
Reframing Examples I can’t escape this pain. “ Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”
Reframing Examples Pain will ruin my life “ Pain is weakness leaving the body” Pain will change my life
Instead of alleviating pain we need to be creating comfort.
Comfort vs. Pain Comfort and pain not  opposite ends of same spectrum  Possible to experience comfort even in the presence of very great pain  Influence of comfort on pain Comfort  Pain
Comfort changes pain.
So…  what is Comfort?
Comfort Theory Transcendence Ease Relief
Comfort Theory Physical,   Psychological, Environmental, Social   Transcendence Ease Relief
Transcendence Pablo Casals
Transcendence Fox’s Book of Martyrs 16 th  Century
GOAL: Without using the word “pain” Realistic (so you can do it) Measurable (so you know if you did it) Example: what would you be able to do if you didn’t have pain in the first place? Maybe watch your favorite TV show and actually  enjoy  it?
Remember: Pain is inevitable,  suffering is optional. Natural helps will not cause the immediate euphoria that opioid pain medecines do, but their results will last a lot longer.
Back Pain? Morning  -or-  Evening?
Back Pain
Methods that a woman  can use independently Posture Back exercises Relaxation/imagery/mindfulness Self-hypnosis Yoga Hydrotherapy Aromatherapy Music
Methods that can be  used by family & friends Massage Acupressure
Referrals to  Practitioners Water aerobics Chiropractic Physical therapy Acupuncture Cognitive behavioral training
 

Toolbox

  • 1.
    Comfort Over Pain in Pregnancy Lenore Charles, CNM, DNP
  • 2.
    What is yourpain like?
  • 3.
    How has yourpain affected you?
  • 4.
    What do youbelieve caused your pain?
  • 5.
    In what waysdo you think your pain is a danger to you?
  • 6.
    What makes yourpain worse? Stress Loneliness Lack of support Not enough sleep How can you change these things?
  • 7.
    What do youexpect from the Comfort Over Pain in Pregnancy Study?
  • 8.
    Three Legged StoolMedication Mind/Body Healing Surgery
  • 9.
    First, deal withthe cause of the pain… instead of covering it up.
  • 10.
  • 11.
    Frame of ReferenceSummer 2007, Washington, DC Dinner party on the patio A hooded intruder appeared Held a 14 year old guest at gunpoint
  • 12.
    Fear Pain VictimTerror Helplessness
  • 13.
    Frame Breaking by Cristina Rowan We were just finishing dinner. Why don’t you have a glass of wine with us? The intruder had a sip of their Chateau Malescot St-Exupery and said, “Damn, that’s good wine.” The girl’s father told the intruder to take the whole glass, and Rowan offered him the bottle. The robber, with his hood down, took another sip and a bite of Camembert cheese. He put the gun in his sweatpants. “ I think I may have come to the wrong house,” the intruder said before apologizing. “Can I get a hug?” Rowan stood up and wrapped her arms around the would-be robber. The other guests followed. The man walked away a few moments later with a filled crystal wine glass, but nothing was stolen, and no one was hurt. Police were called to the scene and found the empty wine glass unbroken on the ground in the alley behind the house Associated Press, 2007
  • 14.
    What Happened???? Itall started with one little thought being re-framed in the mind of one person… But resulted in a real, measurable, (huge) physical change in the lives of several people!
  • 15.
    Reframing Examples Painis terrifying “ No pain no gain” “ Go for the burn”
  • 16.
    Reframing Examples Ican’t escape this pain. “ Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”
  • 17.
    Reframing Examples Painwill ruin my life “ Pain is weakness leaving the body” Pain will change my life
  • 18.
    Instead of alleviatingpain we need to be creating comfort.
  • 19.
    Comfort vs. PainComfort and pain not opposite ends of same spectrum Possible to experience comfort even in the presence of very great pain Influence of comfort on pain Comfort Pain
  • 20.
  • 21.
    So… whatis Comfort?
  • 22.
  • 23.
    Comfort Theory Physical, Psychological, Environmental, Social Transcendence Ease Relief
  • 24.
  • 25.
    Transcendence Fox’s Bookof Martyrs 16 th Century
  • 26.
    GOAL: Without usingthe word “pain” Realistic (so you can do it) Measurable (so you know if you did it) Example: what would you be able to do if you didn’t have pain in the first place? Maybe watch your favorite TV show and actually enjoy it?
  • 27.
    Remember: Pain isinevitable, suffering is optional. Natural helps will not cause the immediate euphoria that opioid pain medecines do, but their results will last a lot longer.
  • 28.
    Back Pain? Morning -or- Evening?
  • 29.
  • 30.
    Methods that awoman can use independently Posture Back exercises Relaxation/imagery/mindfulness Self-hypnosis Yoga Hydrotherapy Aromatherapy Music
  • 31.
    Methods that canbe used by family & friends Massage Acupressure
  • 32.
    Referrals to Practitioners Water aerobics Chiropractic Physical therapy Acupuncture Cognitive behavioral training
  • 33.

Editor's Notes

  • #20 Just as each person has a unique, personal definition of pain, each person’s comfort is slightly different. Many people think of Comfort as simply the absence of pain, but it is much more. As Schuiling and Sampselle noted that it is possible to experience comfort even in the presence of a very great deal of pain. However, the presence of comfort diminishes the sensation of pain and increases a person’s ability to cope with pain. (from here on I will spell “comfort” with a capital C because I will be referring to it as a theory)
  • #21 This is a good example of comfort changing the experience of pain. The mother may not even talk about or touch the painful spot, but her gift of Comfort changes how her child feels.
  • #23 Most people in pain think of comfort as relief. But Kolcaba observed that this is only the first level of the spectrum of comfort. These dogs have discovered the next level: ease (I’ll have some pictures for cat lovers in a minute). Transcendence is a little harder to imagine.
  • #24 After identifying the different levels of Comfort, Kolcaba observed that any of these levels can be experienced within different contexts. Thus, Comfort is a multi-dimensional experience.
  • #25 Pablo Casals was one of the world’s greatest cellists (he was also a conductor and pianist). He lived to be quite old, and in his later years he suffered progressively from severe arthritis. In his later years he gave a morning-long interview that began first thing in the morning. The interviewer visited with Casals as he dressed for the day, or rather was dressed since he couldn’t even dress himself. Breakfast was almost painful to watch, as the frail genius struggled to feed himself. Casals could no longer play the cello, but after breakfast he sat down at his piano, and the interviewer watched an amazing transformation. As Casals played, his movements became fluid and easy. I think Mr. Casals found Comfort in his music, and with it he was able to transcend his pain.
  • #26 This illustration is a bit graphic, but if you’ve watched Dexter (on TV) you are up for it. In 16 th century Europe, the powers-that-be didn’t put up with people who believed differently from themselves. Dissenters were often burned at the stake. Many of these martyrs were Christians, just as their captors claimed to be, but each had a different understanding of their faith. Fox’s Book of Martyrs is a collection of first-hand accounts of these deaths. According to this source, and verified by other sources, martyrs often sang as the flames enveloped them. I can’t imagine how singing while burning to death is physically possible, but apparently their faith gave them Comfort and they were able to transcend even this intensity of pain.
  • #30 Often aches and pains in pregnancy can be relieved by simple interventions. Posture is a good example: as pregnancy progresses, the curvature of the back becomes more and more exaggerated. If the woman doesn’t understand what is happening, she may have back pain that becomes worse as her pregnancy progresses. However, if she learns simple posture techniques, her back pain can be relieved, or even resolved. I like to use visual aids to explain subject content, so for posture teaching use a stack of wooden baby blocks.
  • #32 Massage has the added benefit of increasing the massager’s endorphin and serotonin levels as much as it increases those levels in the person who is receiving the massage.