After TBI, it is common to have a variety of different emotional and cognitive issues. Pain can make these problems worse, and these problems can make pain feel worse. This comic helps to explain the common effects of pain and what you can do about them.

This infocomic follows a TBI survivor as she struggles with pain and the many effects that come as a result, including issues with:

  • Sleep
  • Fatigue
  • Cognitive effects of pain
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • PTSD
  • Pain can change your thinking

Chronic Pain Part 2: Co-Occurring Injury and Pain

I was teaching my son to drive. We stopped  for some people in a crosswalk...

It’s ok; they’ll have to wait until you can move

THe other driver wasn’t paying attention.

The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital with a TBI.

Since my TBI I get tired so quickly.

 I wanted to work to get back to how I was before my injury.

Pain from multiple injuries can be harder to treat.

When I’m in pain my memory is worse.

My pain made sleeping difficult.

 I was always tired and stressed, which made my pain worse.

PTSD

Pain makes my anxiety worse, and that feeds into my PTSD.

I didn’t know how to break the cycle.

I talked to my physical therapist.

It sounds like you have a “Pain-Activity-Cycle”.

Walking is something that causes pain.

I’d like you to walk laps in this hall.

PAIN-ACTIVITY-CYCLE vs. REST-ACTIVITY-CYCLE

You’ll build endurance with regular activity.

I used an activity log to track and gradually increase my activity.

By learning to stop before I was in pain, I was able to increase my activity a little every day.

That helped me to gain more endurance.

My PTSD didn’t go away but it became less of a problem.

Authorship and Illustration

Information Source of TBI and Chronic Pain: Part 2 Infocomic

Part 2 of the TBI and Chronic Pain infocomic series is based on the TBI and Chronic Pain factsheet series. This factsheet was developed by Silas James, MPA; Jeanne Hoffman, PhD; Sylvia Lucas, MD, PhD; Anne Moessner, APRN; Kathleen Bell, MD; William Walker, MD; CJ Plummer, MD; Max Hurwitz, DO, in collaboration with the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center.

Related Resources for TBI and Chronic Pain

You can learn more by exploring the many resources on our Traumatic Brain Injury and Chronic Pain page.