Table 3 Description of the Pain Coping Skills Training (PCST) Intervention
PCST session | Content | Home practice dosage |
|---|---|---|
Session 1: Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) | - Introduce gait control theory | 2 PMR practices per day |
| Â | - Provide rationale for pain coping skills training | Â |
| Â | - Train participant in PMR | Â |
Session 2: Mini-Practices | - Review PMR | 10 or more mini-practices per day |
| Â | -Train participants on mini-practices | Â |
Session 3: Activity-Rest Cycling | - Review PMR and mini-practices | Use technique twice per week |
| Â | - Introduce activity-rest cycling | Â |
Session 4: Pleasant Activity Scheduling | - Describe how pleasant activity scheduling can be used to control and decrease pain | 3 pleasant activities per week |
| Â | - Set pleasant activity goals with participant | Â |
| Â | - Discuss how to use mini-practices and activity-rest cycling in achieving pleasant activity goals. | Â |
Session 5: Identifying Negative Thoughts, Thought Records | - Present cognitive model (ABC Model-how an event leads to automatic thoughts and result in certain consequences) | Record situations and thoughts daily |
| Â | - Teach participant how to use thought records to monitor negative thoughts | Â |
Session 6: Challenging Negative Thoughts, Calming Self-Statements | - Work with participant to challenge negative thoughts | Practice developing alternative coping thoughts daily |
| Â | - Develop calming self-statements | Â |
Session 7: Problem Solving I, Pleasant Imagery and Distraction Techniques I | - Training in problem solving | Problem solving activity: 1 per day |
| Â | - Training in pleasant imagery | Â |
| Â | - Training in counting backwards | Pleasant imagery: 2 per day |
Session 8: Distraction Techniques II, Review of Skills | - Train use of focal points and auditory stimulation as distraction methods | 3 distraction techniques per week |
| Â | - Review skills from previous weeks | Â |
Session 9: Problem Solving II (Applying Pain Coping Skills in Problem Situations) | - Identify problem situations | Record situations and thoughts daily |
| Â | - Develop coping plans | Â |
Session 10: Coping Skills Maintenance, Early Warning Signs/Developing a Coping Plan | - Review principles of relapse prevention | Â |
| Â | - Identify early warning signs of reduced coping | Â |
| Â | - Develop coping plans to address lapses in coping | Â |