No matter who we are, pain is a difficult experience. It is one of those experiences that is shared by all of humanity. Oftentimes when we experience pain, we aren’t quite sure what to do with it. Many people who live with pain look for approaches that can work alongside their medical care, and mindfulness is one of them. Mindfulness for pain management is a growing area of interest, for both those who experience pain and those who study it. Mindfulness may change how we relate to pain, and for some people that can make it feel more manageable.
This practice complements professional care and is not a replacement for it. If your pain is new, severe, or changing, please talk with your doctor or another health professional.
Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief
This worksheet is a guided exercise that invites us through a visualization that may help ease the experience of pain. You imagine a circle of friends, family, and other loving beings gathered around you, sending soft light toward the places that hurt. Following the meditation, we are invited to reflect on how visualization might support us with difficult feelings and sensations. While practicing, patience and compassion can help soften some of the tension or resistance we may be feeling.
Visualization is the tool used in this practice. It is one of many mindfulness for pain management techniques. Additional mindfulness exercises for pain include body scans and progressive muscle relaxation.
How Mindfulness Can Help with Chronic Pain
Researchers have studied whether mindfulness can change how pain is perceived, and the findings so far suggest it can help some people, though results vary from person to person. Some of the ways mindfulness may help to ease painful sensations (or our perception of them) include:
- Shifting our focus towards another object or experience
- Interfering with the stress-pain cycle
- Increasing emotional regulation
- Reducing tension in muscles
- Increasing a sense of agency and control
For more on what research suggests about mindfulness and chronic pain, with links to the studies, check out this blog post. You might also enjoy this script on how we can make room for pain and discomfort in our lives.
