Recent studies suggest that the fear of pain is much worse than the pain itself for such patients. Patients will, for example, contort their bodies to avoid pain, thus causing even more. We want to screen drugs and psychotherapy for their ability to reduce the anticipation activation. If that activity is abolished, that shows us these treatments can be effective in reducing pain in chronic pain patients. The theory would explain why narcotics, antidepressants and antianxiolytics work for pain.
None actually addresses the pain itself but rather make the patient less anxious about it.
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