What is Empowered Relief?

Empowered Relief is a scientifically-proven single-session treatment for chronic or persistent pain. Empowered Relief was developed by Dr Beth Darnall, a pain psychologist and specialist at Stanford University, in order to help people with chronic pain develop skills to manage their pain and the distress associated with living in pain. The 2-hour Empowered Relief class has been scientifically proven to create clinically meaningful improvements in pain intensity, unhelpful pain-related cognitions, the amount that pain interferes with activities, sleep disturbance, pain bothersomeness, depression and anxiety. These changes were observed three months after the class ended, suggesting that Empowered Relief has a lasting impact on these symptoms (Darnall et al., 2021).

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What happens during an Empowered Relief class?

During the 2-hour Empowered Relief class you will:

1. Learn about the neuroscience of pain and what you can do to help yourself.

2. Gain pain relief skills that you can use right away.

3. Receive a free 20-minute binaural relaxation audiofile.

4. Create a personal plan for your pain relief.

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We know that chronic pain often impact on families and friendships. For this reason, you are welcome to invite a friend or family member to the session free of charge.

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Is Empowered Relief the right treatment for me?

If you are living with pain, then you are not alone. It is estimated that 1 in 3 adults are living with pain. Living with pain causes high levels of distress, interferes with work, social activities and relationships and can stop people achieving their goals and disrupt sleep. This one-session class can give you the skills you need to manage your pain so that you can feel more in control of your pain, reduce the way that pain interferes with your life, sleep better, and feel better in your mood.

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If you are living with chronic pain, then you are likely to benefit from Empowered Relief. Empowered relief is a suitable treatment for any type of chronic or persistent pain, because the skills are applicable to all types of pain. This class could be helpful for you if you are experiencing:

• Back pain

• Migraines and headaches

• Fibromyalgia

• Cancer-related pain

• Arthritis or joint pain

• Neck pain

• Muscle pain

• Testicular pain

• Lasting pain in scar tissue

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How does Empowered Relief compare to CBT for chronic pain?

Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, is an evidence-based treatment for chronic pain. The researchers at Stanford University wanted to investigate whether Empowered Relief was comparable to a course of CBT for chronic pain. They compared the two treatments in a randomised controllled trial (RCT)and found that Empowered Relief was as effective as a programme of eight, two-hour sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for pain in terms of reducing pain intensity, pain-related cognitions, pain interference, pain bothersomeness, sleep disturbance, depression and anxiety (Darnall et al., 2021).

 

How can I find an Empowered Relief class?

Dr Rachel Lee is one of only a small number of UK-based health professionals who are certified and therefore able to deliver Empowered Relief. Rachel is a certified instructor and one of only a handful of people in the UK who are approved by Stanford University to deliver this cutting-edge treatment. Rachel in based near Leeds, Wakefield and Huddersfield and will be offering in-person classes in West Yorkshire from April 2023. Rachel is offering live, online Zoom classes from Monday 13 March 2023 , so that you can benefit from this novel and effective pain treatment, wherever you live. Bookings are now open via this link.