A cross-modality approach for treatment of chronic pain: a preliminary report

Three subjects, presenting a variety of chronic pain problems, were treated with a cross-modality feedback technique. Their presenting pain intensity was matched to a pure tone auditory stimulus decibel level and in each session this stimulus was progressively reduced in loudness, with the subjects having the task of reducing their pain to match each new, lower decibel levels. Audiometric measures, responses to pain assessment scales, self-reports, reports from hospital staff, and reductions in pain medications all demonstrated marked pain reduction in all cases. Follow-up assessments revealed that the improvements were maintained long after treatment had been discontinued.