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Back Pain Secondary Gain
Back pain secondary gain is related to true
psychosomatic back pain,
but differs in many crucial areas. Secondary gain describes external psychological motivating factors for the beginning or perpetuation of painful symptoms. The patient may or may not be consciously aware of these psycho-emotional motivating factors, but they exist nonetheless. Secondary gain is a common
misdiagnosis
for patients with true psychosomatic pain generated from internal emotional issues which have been repressed.
Back Pain Secondary Gain vs. Primary Gain
Primary gain
is the actual reason for most
psychosomatic pain syndromes.
Usually, the primary gain of the symptoms is to cover up unresolved, sensitive and deeply repressed issues within the patient’s subconscious mind. The pain serves to distract from these repressed emotions, since it is in their nature to strive for conscious recognition. The subconscious mind fears the release of these repressed emotions and the havoc they may cause in the patient’s consciousness. It is for this reason that the subconscious institutes any of the overwhelming number of psychologically induced pain syndromes which have become such an
epidemic
in our healthcare system today.
Back Pain Secondary Gain Motivations
Secondary gain, unlike primary gain, is symptomatic motivation which affects the patient’s external environment. Rather than protect the patient from internal stressors, secondary gain protects the patient from factors relating to work, interpersonal relationships, responsibilities and any other factors having to do with how the patient interacts with the outside world. True secondary gain is not consciously caused by the patient in an attempt to benefit from the pain. The patient may or may not realize the benefits of secondary gain, but they do not consciously cause it to be. This is not the same phenomenon as a patient who pretends to be sick or exaggerates a condition on purpose, in order to gain a particular objective…
Recommendation on Back Pain Secondary Gain
Some patients have been told that their pain might have something to do with psychological factors. Unfortunately, most of these patients have been written off by doctors as having a primary physical pain syndrome and a secondary psychological gain perpetuating factor. This is rarely the actual situation for most patients with psychosomatic pain syndromes. The vast majority of patients with
chronic back pain
are actually suffering from psychosomatic primary gain as the one and only source of their physical symptoms. Medical science does not recognize primary gain as the cause of most back pain conditions, which accounts for its dismal treatment statistics. Accepting the role of the mind in the enactment of physical symptoms is the first and most difficult step for patients to accomplish. However, this realization is vital if they are to be permanently free from their tormenting pain conditions.
Back Pain Secondary Gain to Back Pain Home
7/23/07 Revised 7/15/08
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