January 2013 
The Pain Center |  Live More Comfortably  |  eNewsletter Header
We hope this note finds you continuing to do well and living your valued life. We hope the article below by Dr. Makuch, one of the Pain Center's psychologists, will help you continue pursuing your life values.
Be Successful With Your New
Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! The start of a new year is often a time when people make resolutions for change in the coming year. Here are some tips that might improve your success, in case you have a resolution or two you've made.

  • Go public with your plans to change a problem behavior.  People who share with others that they are planning to change can enlist the help and support of others, as well as be held accountable in case willpower begins to waver.
  • Restructure your environment to eliminate any temptations. For example, healthy eating begins in the supermarket. Avoid putting foods in your grocery cart that are off limits. Also, if you are trying to lose weight, find a picture of yourself when you were looking good and feeling well and tape it to the refrigerator door. This will serve as a positive reminder and increase your chance of success.  
  • If the urge to engage in a problem behavior arises, do the opposite. If you have recently quit smoking and get the urge to light up, go for a brisk walk instead, or run up and down the stairs a few times. This will reinforce the importance of quitting, while creating a space between you and the urge. Remember, "This too shall pass." Just because you have a thought does not mean you must act on it.
  • Lastly, reward yourself. This is a great strategy, but needs to be used along with other change efforts in order to be successful.

Good luck, take it one day at a time, and remember, just keep trying, no matter what.

  
News & Updates
  

We are growing!

We are pleased to announce that The Pain Center has expanded to a second location.  We are now offering patients in our Fibromyalgia and Pain programs the option to receive treatment on the main campus of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.  We hope that our growth will make our services available to more patients in West Michigan.  For more information, please contact us at 616.233.3480.

  
More than the programs ...
At The Pain Center, all of our doctor's and therapists see patients outside of the programs. If you have a new injury, significant stressor, severe pain flare-up or need to adjust your home exercise program - come back to the team that you trust. We're happy to help.
  
Have a question about a flare up?
You are still a part of The Pain Center family. If you ever have a question, please give us a call at 616.233.3480 and we'd be happy to answer it.
  
 
Sincerely,

Nicole DeHaan, PT
Physical Therapist 
The Pain Center at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital
In This Issue
New Year's Resolutions
News & Upates
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