Smertemestring

Smertemestring is a term used in health psychology and pain management to describe the process by which individuals learn to cope with persistent or recurrent pain in ways that reduce distress and improve daily functioning. The aim is not necessarily to eliminate pain, but to lessen its impact on activities, mood, and overall quality of life through adaptive strategies.

Origin and usage: The word combines smerte (pain) and mestring (coping or mastery) from Scandinavian languages, and is commonly used in patient education, rehabilitation, and multimodal pain programs.

Core components: Smertemestring draws on cognitive, behavioral, and physiological approaches. Cognitive strategies include education about pain, reframing catastrophizing thoughts, and goal setting. Behavioral strategies encompass activity pacing, graded exposure to avoided activities, regular physical activity, and sleep hygiene. Physiological techniques cover relaxation training (for example, progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises), mindfulness or acceptance-based practices, and stress management. Social support and healthcare teamwork are also important to sustain coping.

Effectiveness and evidence: In clinical practice, smertemestring is typically delivered through multidisciplinary programs combining medical care, physical therapy, psychology, and occupational therapy. Research indicates that coping-focused interventions can reduce pain-related distress and improve function, with larger benefits when combined with physical rehabilitation and education. Effects on pain intensity are variable. Outcomes are commonly assessed with scales for pain intensity, interference, coping strategies, mood, and quality of life.

See also: Pain management, Cognitive-behavioral therapy for pain, Mindfulness-based stress reduction, Graded exposure, Self-efficacy in chronic pain.