Behavioral Health
The UC Davis Pain Management Clinic behavioral medicine team focuses on developing effective coping strategies for pain and related conditions, such as stress, mood changes and sleep problems. Our specialists collaborate with you and your medical team to help you better manage your pain, improve your quality of life and restore function. Services are based on the latest scientific evidence and are offered in person and online.
Cognitive behavioral interventions help you recognize the interactions between your pain, emotions, thoughts and actions. Applying these techniques can help reduce distress and improve quality of life by minimizing the negative impact of pain.
Some ways we help relieve your pain:
- Education on how pain is processed
- Learning how stress, emotions and substances contribute to pain
- Relaxation techniques
- Establishing healthy activity patterns
- Methods to improve sleep
- Coping skills for stressful situations
- Goal setting
- Establishing pathways to re-engage with activities you value and enjoy
Mindfulness is one approach that promotes a calm, accepting view of the body and mind. This strategy has been successfully applied to a wide range of conditions, such as chronic pain, stress, depression and insomnia. Our team can help you learn how to develop and apply mindfulness approaches specifically tailored to pain to help you achieve similar outcomes.