More than just pain?! A systemic compass for working with people with chronic pain

Over one in four people in Belgium experience severe physical pain. One in 10 people develop chronic pain every year worldwide. Treatment of chronic pain is based on the biopsychosocial model. Scientific views state, among other things, that pain is a threat to the social self, which is an interesting point of entry for (mental) health-care providers. Conversations with people with chronic pain are always about more than just their pain; they are interesting and cover a lot of ground. Talking about feelings of being hard done-by, clarifying the complexity of the situation, examining the body as an autonomous entity, offering psychoeducation as a hypothesis, and a general attitude of not-knowing form a compass that allows us to attune to the patient and not take up an advisory position. Living with chronic pain requires negotiating with the outside world, being allowed to care for and consider the body, and being allowed to differ from the norm and still fit in enough in a world where the body is just a background figure. An identity transformation and the effects of trauma are described. We meet Eddy and Anne, both dealing with chronic pain, who bring theory alive. The author gives an insight into her personal search and struggles as a psychotherapist introducing systemic psychotherapy in chronic pain patients.     

Disability,pain and love in Jewish cosmology?

Individuals with disabilities face numerous barriers that limit their inclusion within the Jewish community (Trieschmann 2001 Trieschmann, R. B. 2001. “Spirituality and Energy Medicine.” Journal of Rehabilitation 67 (1): 26–32.[Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). While many Jewish communities have progressed and moved towards an attitude of ‘acceptance’ and ‘tolerance’ for people with disabilities out of religious obligation, it is often a practice without the spiritual ethical governing force and guiding principles of respect, equality, and human rights (Shatz and Wolowelsky 2004 Shatz, D., and J. B. Wolowelsky. 2004. Mind, Body, and Judaism: The Interaction of Jewish Law with Psychology and Biology. Ktav Publishing House: Yeshiva University Press. [Google Scholar]). People with disabilities are stereotyped as dependent, draining, incompetent, pitiful, victims, freaks, angels, embarrassments, innocent, pathetic, and asexual social burdens (Nario-Redmond 2010 Nario-Redmond, M. R. 2010. “Cultural Stereotypes of Disabled and Non-Disabled Men and Women: Consensus for Global Category Representations and Diagnostic Domains.” British Journal of Social Psychology 49: 471–488.10.1348/014466609X468411 [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). What is lacking is the consideration of people with disabilities as human beings. This injustice is most evident, painful, and damaging at an individual and communal level when it comes to Jewish singles and their pursuit of intimate relationships. A central Jewish value, right, and goal, one that is strongly promoted in Israeli society, is that of committed intimate relationships. However, this value does not apply to people with disabilities     

Are relaxation techniques effective in relief of chronic pain?

Alternative therapies are becoming more popular in the United States despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting that they are effective treatments. Some alternative therapies used in the relief of chronic pain are relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and biofeedback. Overall, the existing research suggests that relaxation techniques are effective in reducing pain [6,8,21]. Research concerning guided imagery has also suggested that it is helpful in reducing pain [19,22,23]. Finally, most of the research concerning biofeedback and the reduction of pain in people with chronic pain has been positive [7,10,14,20]. Despite these findings, one can not conclude that relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and biofeedback are effective in reducing pain in individuals with chronic pain. There were many problems with most of the studies, including small sample sizes and unstated reliability and validity of assessments. These limitations lower the significance of the studies, which makes it impossible to draw conclusions from the research as a whole. More research needs to be conducted to determine the effectiveness of relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and biofeedback concerning chronic pain. Information regarding the transference of these learned techniques to one's roles and daily activities should also be incorporated into the research by occupational therapists.     

Where to Go,What to Do During Visit to China s Capital

If you are coming to,or are in,Beijing for the first time,you probably know about the things you must do:Visit the Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square,enjoy a meal at the famous Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant,and spend a day trekking on the Great Wall.In addition to those must-experience activities, Women of China offers readers its editors' picks,which are a few recommendations on where to eat and places to visit while in the city.     

Paths to Success

The female scientists have made remarkable academicachievements on a par with their male counterparts.Opening their lift scroll, each of them is a thick andrich book, tempting one to read, leading one to think.     

Traveling to Sanya

The seaside tourist city of Sanya, located on Hainan Island, attracts tourists from all around the world with its unique tropical scenery and local ethnic customs.     

Journey to Sanmenxia

Sanmenxia Gorge on the Yellow River is one of the cradles of the Chinese nation. With its vast number of natural and human landscapes, cultural relics and sites, it is a fitting place to learn about China's ancient civilization and modern miracles.     

Action to Help

DOCTOR Lu was distributing medicine to patients in the gynecology and obstetrics department of the Anshansi Township Hospiral in Huairou County, a suburb north of Beijing. First, she noted down the patient's name and condition, then handed her a bottle of Fujie Lotion and a douche bottle. The medicine and douche bottle were provided free.     

Love to Pipa

AN entirely new pipa solo was held at the International Artistic World inside the Beijing Crown Holiday Inn Hotel on the night of August 17, 1996. Though the young pipa player Wang     

Visit to Japan

BETWEEN November 8 to 17, 1995, the Chinese women's delegation, led by Ms. Kang Ling, member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), visited Gunma Prefecture, Japan, with short stays in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. The visit was at the invitation of the Gunma Prefectural Government and was the twelfth women's delegation to make the journey since the friendly contacts were established between the ACWF and Gunma Prefecture.     

From Play to Art—From Experience to Insight

This article investigates the role of play and playlike activities (imagination, art) in developing and using symbolic tools. We understand processes of development of symbolic tools as coordination between two types of relationships: the subject–object relationships and the subject–subject relationships. This coordination begins when a new, playlike frame of activity is introduced in the interaction. The imaginary frame of activity changes relationships between the participants. Furthermore, the imaginary activity frame may enter into interaction with the out-of-play activity frames (“reality” frames). Structures and relationships built within the imaginary frames are then used to shape the actual understanding of the world (subject–object relationship) as well as the interpersonal relationships and identities of the participants.

Introduction and further development of imaginary frames is a recursive process that takes place on different but related time scales: from microdevelopment through ontogenetic development to cultural development. Our project was designed to demonstrate some of the key moments that occur in the symbolic construction, in an “untangled” manner. To that effect, we designed a drama workshop to outline and illustrate processes that take place at the point of introduction of a new, imaginary frame and at the point when this imaginary frame begins to interact with the out-of-play frames. The aim of the workshop was to magnify each stage in construction of semiotic tools by “walking” professional researchers through a series of playlike activities.     

Prelude to Gold

FEMALE Chinese athletes Fu Mingxia and Wang Junxia recorded outstanding performances at 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Fu Mingxia won gold medals in both platform and springboard diving, and in so doing became the first double medal winner in Olympic diving since 1960. Wang Junxia, the holder of several world records in women's long distance events, struggled against the odds and captured gold in the 5,000-meter event,     

Close to Wurina

AT the Central University for Nationalities campus, I met a Mongolian teacher. Knowing I am a journalist in charge of the column "Ethnic Women," he opened-up. He told me that Mongolian women are traditionally good at singing and dancing, warm-hearted, outspoken and industrious. Pride can be read from his words, "At the Central University for Nationalities, there are a lot of female Mongolian teachers. Prof. Wurina, who teaches the history of foreign literature in the Chinese Department, is one of the most prominent. She is deputy to Haidian District People's Congress of Beijing.     

MSW Graduates’ Readiness to Respond to Intimate Partner Violence

The purpose of this study is to better understand the relationship among factors affecting social workers’ overall readiness to respond to intimate partner violence (IPV) in a sample of recent MSW graduates (N = 205). Findings suggest MSW IPV education and postgraduate IPV training are significantly associated with perceived preparedness and perceived knowledge but not actual knowledge of IPV. Personal experience with IPV was also significantly associated with perceived knowledge but not perceived preparedness. Furthermore, perceived knowledge appears to be positively associated with perceived preparedness. Findings can inform social work educators’ strategies to increase students’ perceived preparedness to respond to IPV. Specific IPV topics that MSW graduates might be particularly underprepared in are also discussed.     

The Daur Give the Right to Education to Girls First

The 121, 357 members of the Daur nationality live mainly in the Daur Autonomous Banner of Morin Dawa (county level administrative division) in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Qiqihar, in Heilongjiang Province. The majority of Daur people believe in Shamanism, with a small number following the beliefs of Lamaism.     

Response to Ross’s Comment to Miccio-Fonseca and DeFeo

ABSTRACT

Response to Ross on his comments regarding my purported misunderstanding of Ross’s article and the DSM-V (Ross, 2015). Although Ross claims he offered no personal opinions of any kind in his commentary, undeniably there were two separate and independent comments in (Miccio-Fonseca (2015) and DeFeo (2015) addressing similar issues. Is this coincidental? This author maintains the stance expressed in the cited commentary.     

Low back pain disability and stay at work: contradiction or necessity?

The incidence of occupational diseases in the population is high and factors such as long working hours, poor posture, psychological and physical stress can contribute to its development. Among work-related musculoskeletal disorders, back pain has a high prevalence. The aim of the present study was to quantify and characterize pain complaints and to identify individuals with low back pain, in order to assess the degree of disability. Participated 226 employees of an institution of higher education. They answered a general questionnaire about location and quantification of pain complaints visual analog scale for pain and the Quebec Disability Questionnaire. Of all the workers, 69.60% had some type of musculoskeletal complaint; of those, 15.41% had low back pain. Considering workers who had back pain, 54.9% were female, 52.94% are under 30 years old and 43.14% between 1 and 5 years of work. As for the final score for the degree of disability, 41.17% had minimal disability and 37.25% moderate disability. The present study found large number of pain complaints and high prevalence of low back pain, resulting in individual's inability and difficulties in performing work activities.     

Farewell to Unhappy Marriage

ONE afternoon, we came to Xiangjie Village of Husa Township, Longchuan County in Dehong, Yunnan Province. The weaving road paved with slabstones led to the siheyuan (quadrangle) of each family, on the doors of which the Spring Festival couplets had been newly placed. Occasionally, fireworks cracked. It was time for the Achang to join the family. When we passed the doorway of