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Managing Pain and Stress

Arthritis educater, Robyn Tuohy, speaks
to Wellington's August meeting

Robyn's focus was on managing the pains and stress that
accompany scleroderma. She says self-management is crucial
to how scleroderma affects your life.

Causes of Pain

Inflammation Stiffness

Joint damage Tense muscles

Weakened muscles

Robyn explained that, when your brain concludes that your
body is in danger, you need to do something about it so it
causes pain in the local nerves. It's a protective system.

Not all pain is equal though. Acute pain is protective. Chronic
pain is less useful - it's the brain overreacting to discomfort,
injury or illness. The pain can continue and spread even when
no harm is happening. She says chronic pain is pain that lasts
longer than 3 months.

Many factors can influence how you experience pain. and aromatherapy.

Emotions (anxiety, excitement) Thoughts (what we think) Managing Stress

Behaviours (what we do) Other people’s responses Robyn finished a comprehensive afternoon explaining how to
manage the fatigue and stress that result from chronic pain
Stress and illness.

It's perhaps easily summed up in the graphic she provided.

Managing Pain

Your mind and attitude can influence how you experience
pain, from place you go and see, your attitude to life, your
experiences, things you say and do, amongst others. Robyn
gave a detailed analysis of events that can be positive or
negative to how you face life and experience pain. Positive
steps could be meditation, massage, gentle exercise, prayer

www.scleroderma.org.nz