Eye movement desensitization reprocessing as treatment for chronic pain syndromes: A literature review

Review of literature to evaluate the effectiveness of EMDR in the treatment of chronic pain.

Article Abstract

“Background: Chronic pain is public health problem in the United States, costing upwards of $560 to $635 billion annually. Guidelines consistently recommend psychological treatment for chronic pain. Eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) psychotherapy may provide an alternate approach to treating chronic pain.

Objective: Review of literature to evaluate the effectiveness of EMDR in the treatment of chronic pain.

Method: A literature search of seven databases was conducted to find relevant studies addressing the use of EMDR for chronic pain.

Results: Most studies reported improvement in pain and psychological indices with EMDR.

Conclusions: Because most literature reported case studies, the results have limited generalizability. However, for clients who suffer from chronic pain, EMDR is a reasonable treatment alternative.”

—Description from publisher

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Tefft, A. J., & Jordan, I. R. (2016). Eye movement desensitization reprocessing as treatment for chronic pain syndromes: A literature review. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 22(3), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078390316642519