A new study led by UNSW Sydney and Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) shows that targeting emotional processing may be helpful for treating and managing chronic pain.
The study is based on a new trial that researchers say shows helped reduce pain intensity by having the patient undergo what they call ‘Pain and Emotion Therapy.’ This involves undergoing a number of online, group-based therapy sessions.
The trial was led by Professor Sylvia Gustin and Dr Nell Norman-Nott, both from UNSW and NeuRA.
“By changing how we manage emotions, it is possible to change the experience of pain itself,” Prof. Gustin says. “This is not just a temporary relief but a potential long-term improvement in quality of life for those affected by chronic pain.”
The therapy aims to retrain the brain to more easily process emotions by improving an individual’s ability to deescalate negative emotions and enhance positive ones. The development of online sessions aims to address accessibility issues.
Online therapy
The trial took place from March 2023 to September 2024 and focused on the experiences of 89 people with chronic pain.
The online therapy was delivered through eight group-based therapist-guided sessions by video conference across Australia. Participants also used an app and handbook for self-learning. The control group continued their usual treatment.
Prof. Gustin says those who received the new treatment reported better emotional regulation as well as pain reduction equal to a 10-point decrease on a 100-point scale for pain intensity within a six-month follow up.
“This shows not only a clinical improvement, but one that makes a noticeable difference in the daily lives of the people affected,” she says.
Dr Nell Norman-Nott says while prescription and non-prescription pain medications continue to play an important role in treatment they have limitations, mentioning dependency and declining effectiveness challenges. In recent times the approach to improving pain has widened.
“We’ve gone from purely medical and biological approaches to a more holistic treatment model that includes addressing social and psychological experiences,” Dr Norman Nott says.
She says though psychological therapies come with few side effects, there are still improvements needed, “Particularly to address the key mental health concerns of people with chronic pain, such as identifying and expressing emotions, and calming down emotional reactiveness.”
Dr Norman-Nott says this new therapy works by teaching participants that we need emotions in our lives.
“Often when we live with chronic pain for many years, negative emotions get pushed down and positive emotions become harder to identify,” Dr Norman-Nott says.
“We focus on helping to identify and bring up those negative emotions so that they can be acknowledged and resolved — while also realising the potential positive aspects of life and setting goals for the future.”
Improved pain
One participant in the study says the therapy has improved his experience of pain.
Richard Beaumont is a participant who has had cancer pain and chronic lower back pain for 11 years. He says he frequently gets pain that reaches an eight or nine out of 10.
“After receiving Pain and Emotion Therapy I can bring this right down to a four or five just by calming the farm,” he says.
The next step for rolling out ‘Pain and Emotion Therapy’ is a larger clinical trial supported by the Medical Research Future Fund, due to start in 2026.
“The results we’ve seen so far are a big improvement in our understanding of chronic pain, showing how important it is to treat both the body and emotions together,” says Prof. Gustin.
