Case ReportThe eye movement desensitization and reprocessing approach in pain management – A case report of a patient with paraparesis
Introduction
The eye movement desensitization and reprocessing approach (EMDR) is based on Shapiro's theory on processing information and experience and adaptive information processing (AIP) model. This theory assumes that every human being has innate information and experience processing mechanisms required for optimal adaptational responses. Disorders that are the mental effect of the lived experiences that manifest also on a somatic level result from blocked, or “frozen”, information processing in the central nervous system.1 Bilateral stimulation of the brain by using e.g. alternating eye movements assists to unlock and reprocess experiences (EMDR approach).1 Pain, due to its psycho-physical duality, is difficult to define. Definition adopted by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) describes pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage”.2 In clinical practice, the most difficult are cases when no organic cause of pain can be established and pharmacological treatment does not provide satisfactory results. Regardless of the origin of pain – biological or psychological – both rehabilitation and psychotherapy may be long and not always provide the expected improvement. The purpose of this work was to present analgesic effects obtained with EMDR in a patient with paraparesis.
Section snippets
Aim
The aim of this article is the presentation of an application of EMDR method in pain treatment.
Case study
A 23-year-old patient with paraparesis due to traffic accident three years earlier resulting in incomplete transverse spinal cord damage reported severe pain in paralyzed lower limbs from about one year. Pain had a significant influence on decline in physical activity and appetite, as well as mood. Thorough physical and imaging examination (ultrasound, fMRI) had ruled out organic causes of the pain and the patient was diagnosed with psychogenic pain. Pharmacological analgesic treatment did not
Results and discussion
During a six-week EMDR therapy, the patient achieved a significant improvement. Therapeutic practice experience has an explanation in studies, which show that external stimulus such as bilateral stimulation induces reorganization of brain structures on neurophysiological level. It was observed that bilateral stimulation decreased activity in the limbic system and induced reorganization of cortical activity.3, 4, 5, 6 Ray and Zbik suggest that EMDR may act through desensitizing emotional aspects
Conclusions
The EMDR method could be helpful in psychogenic pain treatment.
Conflict of interest
None declared.
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