Please note: This information is educational and not a substitute for medical advice. Check with your provider before starting a new exercise or self-care routine, especially if you have a heart or lung condition, recent surgery, osteoporosis, or are pregnant.
What it is
Chronic pain affects mood, sleep and stress, and stress can turn up pain. Mind-body skills give you tools to calm the stress response. They include slow diaphragmatic (belly) breathing, mindfulness meditation and relaxation exercises.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for pain is a structured, skills-based therapy with a psychologist or counselor. It focuses on pacing, coping thoughts, sleep and gradually returning to activities. Seeing a pain psychologist does not mean the pain is “in your head.” Pain is processed by the nervous system, and these skills work on that system.
How it may help
The American College of Physicians lists mindfulness-based stress reduction and CBT among recommended non-drug options for chronic low back pain. The NIH reports that mindfulness approaches may help reduce chronic pain and improve coping for some people.[1][2]
Slow belly breathing may help relax muscles and lower the stress response. It is safe for most people and takes only a few minutes.[3][4]
Results vary from person to person. These approaches are meant to complement, not replace, the care plan from your provider.
Starter routine
1. Get comfortable
Lie on your back with knees bent, or sit in a supportive chair. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
1 minute
2. Breathe in through your nose
Breathe in slowly for about 4 seconds, letting your belly rise under your hand. Your chest hand should stay fairly still.
About 4 seconds
3. Breathe out slowly
Breathe out gently through pursed lips for about 6 seconds, letting your belly fall.
About 6 seconds
4. Repeat
Continue for 5 to 10 minutes, once or twice a day, or whenever you notice tension or a pain flare.
5–10 minutes
Illustrations move gently between positions. If your device is set to reduce motion, they stay still.
Safety tips
- Practice when you are calm, so the skill is ready when pain flares.
- If you feel lightheaded, slow down and breathe normally for a moment.
- Short guided meditations (5 to 10 minutes) are a good start.
- Ask us about a referral to a pain psychologist or CBT program if pain is affecting your mood, sleep or daily life.
- If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or 911 right away.
Stop and call your provider if you notice:
- New weakness, numbness or tingling in a leg or arm, or numbness in the groin or inner thighs
- Loss of bladder or bowel control (call 911 or go to the emergency department)
- Chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting
- Sharp pain that is clearly worse during or after the activity and does not settle within a day or two
- Fever, unexplained weight loss, or pain after a fall or injury
Mild soreness that fades within a day is common when starting something new. Sharp, spreading or worsening pain is not.
Watch and learn
Video: “Diaphragmatic breathing” from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital on YouTube. It loads from youtube-nocookie.com only when you press play. Shown for general education; GSMC did not produce it. Watch on YouTube
Video: “Meditation: Addressing Pain” from NCCIH on YouTube. It loads from youtube-nocookie.com only when you press play. Shown for general education; GSMC did not produce it. Watch on YouTube
Video: “Diaphragmatic Breathing Demonstration from Michigan Medicine” from Michigan Medicine on YouTube. It loads from youtube-nocookie.com only when you press play. Shown for general education; GSMC did not produce it. Watch on YouTube
Captions: press the CC button in the video player to turn on captions. Some captions are generated automatically by YouTube and may contain errors.
Conditions this may help with
Sources
- American College of Physicians: Noninvasive treatments for acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain (clinical practice guideline, Annals of Internal Medicine, 2017)
- NCCIH: Meditation and mindfulness: effectiveness and safety
- Cleveland Clinic: Diaphragmatic breathing
- NCCIH: Relaxation techniques: what you need to know
This information is educational and not a substitute for medical advice.