Are you looking for an Elixir?

On a recent trip to a Farmer’s Market in Asheville, NC, I I saw this bottle of “Pain Relieving Liniment.”  I began to think about how often many of us are looking for the magic elixir to cure us from our ailments. Managing pain can take many forms. There are “pain doctors” who provide painkillers, injections, blocks and much more to manage acute symptoms of pain. Once you run the gamut of medical procedures, including surgery without relief, it may be time to consider the plethora of mind body techniques available. Cognitive behavioral psychology can offer ways to manage pain from the inside out. Techniques such as Biofeedback, Mental Imagery, Relaxation, Hypnosis, Yoga, Stress Management and specialized diaphragmatic breathing and now Virtual Reality (VR) have proven to  be extremely effective in providing relief. Conditions of chronic pain, phobias, PTSD, burn victims and anxiety disorders are now being managed without opiate or narcotic medications. If you are continuing to look for the “magic pill” to manage your problems, it may be time to change your approach. 
Take a look at this fMRI brain scan showing what happens in the mind when using VR to treat a burn victim. What this shows is that refocusing the mind, changes the circuits in the brain. Therefore, these mind/body techniques actually make changes in the brain by “growing neurons.” These circuits become stronger with practice. Once you become adept at using these tools, they even work better. Take charge of your own recovery from your condition by utilizing a combination of these techniques that work for you. 

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Dr. Mike Klaybor

Dr. Mike Klaybor

Dr. Mike Klaybor brings thirty years of experience in practicing counseling psychology with individuals and couples. His approach is cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. Specific specialties include; anxiety and stress management, chronic pain & chronic illness management, depression, substance abuse evaluations, employee assistance and executive coaching for workplace performance and leadership.