Day 3

Day 3

The goal today is to find case studies and articles about the correlation/link between patients' attitudes and how/if it affects their recovery. Atlas Physical Therapy, a series of clinics located in Colorado, made a blog post stating, "all pain is determined on your brain's ability to perceive it... There is evidence to support having a positive attitude can help improve outcomes and your recovery process as a whole." Now it's time to find that evidence.

I watched this TEDx Talk with Martina Ziegenbein called "How the Brain Has Power Over Our Pain," where she talks about chronic pain and how you can have no visible soft tissue damage or inflammation, yet still feel pain that is 100% real. It didn't really answer any of my questions; however, it confirmed that there definitely is a direct link between your brain and injury/pain.

I read another blog by Linda Rath, through the Arthritis Foundation, called "The Connection Between Pain and Your Brain," which discusses how your mental state changes your pain level through placebo treatments. She goes over work by Lauren Atlas, PhD, who heads the section on affective neuroscience and pain at the National Institutes of Health. Her focus on placebo treatments shows that patients get better with a sham treatment because they believe it will help. Rath says in her blog, when referencing Atlas' work, "Many studies show that positive expectations or beliefs change brain chemistry... causing the body to produce pain-blocking chemicals like opioids and dopamine" (Rath). There is also a believed adverse effect for patients who are given what are called "nocebos," a sham treatment that is believed to give negative effects (the opposite of a placebo). "Evidence suggests negative expectations and beliefs increase anxiety, which in turn causes the release of cholecystokinin (CCK)... CCK has been shown to reduce or block the action of opioid medications and even acupuncture."

Through this case study research, I have gained a better understanding of the mind-body connection and how expectations and experiences can impact recovery through actual biological responses in patients. I will share my findings with Diane tomorrow when I see her again and maybe try to find a way to implement methods in her work to help patients who aren't in the right mindset.

I also spent a decent chunk of time studying for the diagram test Diane is having me take this weekend. There a lot more parts in the knee than I thought!

Today, I worked from 9:20–2:20 for a total of 5 hours.

Hours today: 5

Total Hours: 14