Once an avoider always an avoider? Return of pain-related avoidance after extinction with response prevention

Contemporary theories emphasize the pivotal role of avoidance behaviour in the development and chronification of pain-related disability.24,43,44 Avoiding pain-related stimuli (e.g. movements) is adaptive when pain is acute, but persisting avoidance leads to functional disability through the disengagement from daily-life activities.43,44 Further, it prevents the disconfirmation of erroneous catastrophic beliefs21 and, paradoxically, maintains pain-related fear by conveying the message that a threat really exists.
Source: The Journal of Pain - Category: Materials Science Authors: Source Type: research