“Pain is a significant part of our lives and is required for us to survive. In fact, there are a few people who are born without the ability to feel pain. They do not do very well, and many die young,” says Mark Jensen, PhD, who recently received an honorary doctorate from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain.
Dr. Jensen, professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington, spent decades developing his research program to study the efficacy and mechanisms of psychological pain treatments, including clinical hypnosis. His journey in understanding the nuances of biological, psychological, and social aspects of pain management has had a remarkable impact on the lives of people suffering from different kinds of pain.
“The driving force in my work is to relieve suffering in the world. I have treated adults with pain to teach them self-management skills, they would often say, ‘I wish I knew this when I was younger’” says Dr. Jensen.
In his speech at the doctoral ceremony, Dr. Jensen emphasized the importance of focusing on children with chronic pain. His research conducted in collaboration with colleagues at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili found that children who have more sedentary lives, spend time watching or interacting with smart phones and computers, and who do not sleep well, are more likely to have chronic pain. In fact, the increase in chronic pain in children observed over the past two decades can be explained, in part, because of increases in these three factors. With knowledge of pain perception and the proper context of how the brain interprets and processes pain, a safe and more practical complement to conventional pain management can be taught to the younger generation.
“The younger we are when we learn the skills that we know are effective for pain management -- skills such as thought management, meditation practices, and self-hypnosis -- the longer we will have to make use of these skills in our lives. I think that pain education should be part of the health education curriculum taught in schools,” he adds.
Dr. Jensen has poured years of work into understanding the role of the brain in pain. Research conducted in the past three decades has confirmed that the brain is the final common pathway to pain; it is the pain generator. His research has shown that interventions which alter how the brain responds to sensory input alter the experience of pain. This gives people with chronic pain hope, as it supports the idea that they can learn strategies to get control over something they thought was out of their control.
Unlike popular and entertaining notions about hypnosis being all about taking control of a person’s mind, Dr. Jensen's research has shown that clinical hypnosis can help individuals achieve their own goals and that gives them more control over their own responses.
“When working with someone in clinical hypnosis, the hypnotic suggestions are guided by the patient's goals and values. If the patient tells me they want pain relief, that guides my suggestions. If they say they want to be able to more easily and comfortably play with their grandchildren, that guides my suggestions,” says Dr. Jensen.
In his ongoing efforts to push boundaries in research on pain management, Dr. Jensen aims to learn more about the mechanisms that underlie pain treatments. The honorary doctorate is another feather in his cap and fuel to reinforce the importance of his work. Dr. Jensen is also the author of 12 books, 42 chapters, and more than 700 published articles.
Watch the honorary doctorate ceremony on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/1050659961