In order to respond to the needs arising from the experience of living with painthe Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Fundació Salut i Envelliment UABwithin the framework of the Health and Well-being University, have developed a free course on the chronic pain management.
pain, especially chronic painis a health problem that affects the quality of life of those who suffer from it, more than 6 million adults in Spain, and represents the main negative impact on health, regardless of age and sex, and in their family environment. .
Recent studies show that chronic pain affects more than 6 million adults in Spain and it is the main negative impact on health. The course developed in collaboration with the Grünenthal Foundation, offers a multidimensional approach that allows a better understanding how it affects, and in what wayto the person who suffers from it.
This free MOOC course (Massive Open Online Coursesfor its acronym in English) on the management of chronic pain, is carried out in Spanish, through one of the most relevant online educational platforms worldwide, and is entirely designed to patients and caregivers.
Laura Fernández, researcher of the and responsible for the course, ensures that “Through online learning, the tools needed so that people who deal daily with pain assume a more active role in the treatment of their disease”.
It is for this reason that, before the development of the course, an investigation was carried out to incorporate the needs, perspectives and values of the recipients to the contents and activities. Likewise, despite the fact that the methodology of the course is based on the Autonomous Learningalso enhances the exchange of experiences.
“In this way, both family members and caregivers as well as people suffering from pain can benefit from other people’s skills and strategiesthat they usually put into practice and that works for them”says Laura Fernandez.
This course bases its approach on the approach cognitive-behavioral for pain managementand wants to contribute to the improvement of the perception of the quality of life of the personespecially when accompanied by medical monitoring. “A biopsychosocial approach helps people to identify which patterns they assume in coping with it, to be able to acquire skillsas well as develop shapes more adaptive in responding to pain”highlights the coordinator of the course.
This expert also highlights the benefits of “Self-observing the impact of emotions on the experience of suffering pain and the need to become aware of the impact of negative behaviors on our perception”.
healthy lifestyle habits
On the other hand, the healthy lifestyle habits also have a fundamental role in the course, because the or physical activity have a positive impact on cognitive and emotional aspects. These, together with others such as the communication with the environmentthe sleep hygiene or improve the management of prescribed treatmentsend up finally influencing coping with pain.
This type of intervention is complementary to the follow-up carried out by the health services and “It is not intended to replace the advice given by the reference professional”clarifies Laura Fernández. The specialist affirms that improve the quality of life of patients is “extremely complex because there are a series of environmental factors and social determinants that also have an impact”.
The course promotes the combination of psycho-emotional strategiessanitary as well as promoting communication with the immediate environment or promote the role of patient organizations.