The Powerful Role Dogs Play In Pain Management
Dogs bring ample amounts of joy
and happiness to everyone they
come in contact with. And with all
the known benefits of having and
spending time with dogs, it’s now
being discovered that dogs can
greatly assist with pain management.
When assessing patients with
chronic pain, up to 23% felt considerably
less pain and distress after a
visit from a dog than those with alternate
methods of pain management.
It’s now being suggested that
in addition to traditional pain relief
and mindful and purposeful meditation
practices, the inclusion of dog
therapy is an exceptional way to
help manage symptoms of chronic
pain.
Animal Assisted
Therapy Basics
Dogs are certainly the most popular
and commonly used with pet therapy,
but cats, birds, fish, and even
horses are all used with this practice.
The particular patient’s settings
and individual needs will determine
the best use of pet therapy, but the
use of dogs has been most heavily
evaluated. Particularly with the ease
of pain, it’s been demonstrated that
dogs help increase endorphins,
levels of oxytocin and
greatly uplift moods. Their use
in therapy varies from occasional
visits to the home or hospital, to
more intensive with a daily service
dog.
Psychological Benefits
The use of therapy dogs go beyond
the basics of the physical need for
them. Those with chronic pain may
use a dog for functionality, such as
with walking and assisting with
fetching items. But it is now emerging
that the emotional and psychological
benefits of the bond between
humans and dogs are having a very
positive effect on those living with
chronic pain. Even just the action of
stroking the dogs has been linked to
lower blood pressure and heart rate,
and bringing on an incredibly calming
effect. The emotional support
offered by their presence is proving
to be putting people at ease, and
ultimately taking their mind off
their pain.
Stress Management
A large aspect of daily pain management
is combating stress that the
ailment is causing. It has been
suggested that a third of patients in
a pain clinic have major depression,
which is caused by the stresses of
their pain and dealing with it on a
daily basis. For this reason, stress
management is a top priority for
many. The use of dogs greatly
assists in this aspect. In fact, dogs
have been so effective in lowering
stress levels in humans that they are
being introduced in the workplace
at an incredible rate. Regardless of
the cause of the stress, the principles
remain the same with the inclusion
of a dog. Interacting and
playing with dogs invigorates
energy, lowers anxiety, and increases
feelings of happiness.
When managing pain, multiple
methods and interventions are needed
and used. The inclusion of dogs
and pet therapy most certainly has
its benefits, and can positively aid
in an individual’s recovery and
management. It is largely being
regarded as a great addition to other
methods, such as medication, physical
therapy, mindfulness meditations,
and behavioral therapy. The
use of dogs will certainly continue
to increase and become more commonplace
as the benefits and
advantages continue to be discovered.
By Chrissy Phillips
50 — iPain Living Magazine