Natural Pain Relief: Practical Ways to Help Manage Ongoing Pain
Updated: Sep 10
Living with ongoing pain can affect far more than the part of your body that hurts.
It can disturb your sleep, drain your energy, make everyday activities more difficult and gradually affect your mood and confidence. When pain has been present for months or years, it's understandable to start looking for anything that might make daily life a little easier.
As a UK clinical hypnotherapist, counsellor and psychotherapist with more than 25 years' experience, I've worked with people for whom relaxation, stress and emotional wellbeing form an important part of coping with ongoing discomfort.
But I want to make an important distinction from the beginning.
Natural pain relief doesn't mean ignoring medical treatment or trying to diagnose or treat persistent pain yourself. New, severe, unexplained or worsening pain should be medically assessed, and an existing condition should continue to be managed with your healthcare professionals.
For people already living with persistent pain, however, there are complementary approaches that can form part of a wider pain-management plan. NHS pain services themselves can include exercise, relaxation, psychological approaches and complementary therapies, with the emphasis often on improving day-to-day life rather than simply trying to eliminate every sensation of pain.
If you're looking for an additional relaxation-based approach, I've created a Natural Pain Relief Self-Hypnosis MP3 and companion eBook to support people living with persistent or recurring discomfort alongside their existing medical care. The 45-minute recording focuses on relaxation, reducing tension and developing a calmer response to discomfort.
What Do We Mean by Natural Pain Relief?
The phrase natural pain relief can mean many different things.
For some people it means wanting to rely less heavily on medication. For others, it simply means looking for additional ways to manage discomfort alongside the treatment they're already receiving.
I prefer the second interpretation.
Pain can be complex, particularly when it becomes persistent. There may not be one technique, medication or therapy that provides a complete answer.
Instead, effective pain management can involve looking at several different areas: physical activity, sleep, stress, emotional wellbeing, relaxation and how pain is affecting your everyday life.
NICE guidance on chronic pain also emphasises a person-centred approach because pain and its impact can be affected by many different aspects of somebody's life.
Understanding Persistent Pain
Acute pain usually has a clear purpose.
You injure yourself, your body sends warning signals and you protect the affected area while it heals.
Persistent or chronic pain can be different.
Pain may continue for months or years. Sometimes there is an identifiable underlying condition; in other cases, the relationship between physical changes and the amount of pain somebody experiences is much less straightforward.
That doesn't make the pain imaginary.
Pain is a genuine experience, but many different factors can influence how difficult it is to live with.
You may have noticed that pain feels much harder to cope with when you're exhausted, frightened, stressed or lying awake focusing on it.
At other times, perhaps when you're relaxed or absorbed in something enjoyable, the discomfort may occupy less of your attention.
This is one reason modern pain management can involve much more than simply trying to suppress a physical sensation.
The Pain, Stress and Tension Cycle
Pain naturally makes us protective.
You may tighten muscles around an uncomfortable area.
You may become anxious about particular movements.
You might constantly check whether the pain is changing.
And you may start worrying about when the next flare-up will happen.
That can create a difficult cycle:
Pain creates tension → tension increases distress → distress draws more attention towards the pain → the pain becomes even harder to cope with.
Sleep can become caught in the same cycle.
Pain makes it harder to sleep. Poor sleep leaves you exhausted. When you're exhausted, coping with discomfort can become more difficult.
You may not be able to simply switch the pain off, but working on some of the factors surrounding it can help you feel more in control.
1. Keep Moving Within Your Capabilities
When movement hurts, avoiding activity can feel like the safest option.
There will obviously be situations where an injury or medical condition requires restrictions, which is why advice from your doctor, physiotherapist or other healthcare professional should always take priority.
For many people with persistent pain, however, appropriate physical activity can form an important part of pain management.
NICE recommends supervised exercise programmes for chronic primary pain and encourages people to remain physically active for their longer-term health, taking individual needs and abilities into account.
The important word is appropriate.
This isn't about pushing through severe pain or suddenly beginning an intense exercise programme.
It might mean walking, swimming, gentle stretching or exercises recommended by a physiotherapist.
If you're unsure what movement is safe for your particular condition, get professional advice rather than guessing.
2. Learn to Pace Yourself
Persistent pain can sometimes lead to a boom-and-bust pattern.
You have a better day, so you try to catch up with everything you haven't been able to do.
You clean the house.
Go shopping.
Do some gardening.
Walk further than usual.
By the end of the day you've done far more than your body is accustomed to, and the following day you pay for it.
Then you rest extensively until you feel better and repeat the cycle.
Pacing means trying to find a more sustainable balance.
Instead of waiting until pain forces you to stop, break activities into manageable periods and include appropriate rests.
The aim isn't to do nothing.
It's to avoid repeatedly alternating between too much and almost nothing.
NHS pain-management programmes can include learning to pace activity specifically to help people manage flare-ups.
3. Use Relaxation to Reduce Unnecessary Tension
Pain and muscular tension often accompany one another.
When something hurts, you may brace your body without even realising you're doing it.
Your shoulders rise.
Your jaw tightens.
Your breathing becomes shallower.
Muscles elsewhere in your body tense as you protect the painful area.
Relaxation won't remove an underlying medical condition, but it can help you become aware of tension you're adding to an already uncomfortable situation.
Try taking a few minutes to notice your body.
Where are you holding yourself unnecessarily tightly?
Can you let your shoulders drop?
Unclench your jaw?
Allow your hands to loosen?
Slow your breathing?
You're not trying to force the painful area to relax. You're simply allowing the rest of your body to stop working quite so hard.
The NHS includes relaxation among its self-management suggestions for persistent pain.
4. Try Slow, Comfortable Breathing
When you're distressed or anticipating pain, breathing can become faster and shallower.
Try slowing it down.
Don't force yourself to take enormous breaths.
Instead, breathe comfortably and allow the out-breath to become a little slower.
You might breathe in gently, then let the breath leave your body without rushing it.
Continue for a few minutes.
The objective isn't to breathe the pain away.
It's to give your body an opportunity to settle and reduce some of the tension surrounding the experience.
This can be particularly useful when you notice yourself becoming anxious about discomfort.
5. Look After Your Sleep
Pain and poor sleep can be particularly difficult companions.
You can't get comfortable because you're in pain.
Then you become frustrated because you're awake.
The frustration makes you more alert.
Eventually you're thinking about both the pain and the fact that you aren't sleeping.
The NHS notes that sleep deprivation can make pain worse and recommends maintaining regular sleeping and waking times.
Try to make sleep as easy for yourself as possible.
Keep a reasonably consistent routine.
Make the bedroom comfortable.
Give yourself time to wind down.
And if pain is repeatedly preventing you from sleeping, discuss it with your GP or healthcare professional rather than simply accepting that poor sleep is inevitable.
6. Notice How Stress Affects Your Pain
Stress doesn't mean pain is psychological.
But stress can change the way your whole body feels.
Muscles become tighter.
Sleep can deteriorate.
You may become more vigilant about physical sensations.
Your ability to cope with discomfort can also feel reduced when you're already dealing with several other pressures.
Think about your own experience.
Does your pain tend to feel harder to manage during stressful periods?
If it does, stress management deserves a place in your pain-management plan.
That might involve relaxation, breathing exercises, making time for enjoyable activities, addressing sources of unnecessary stress or getting appropriate psychological support.
The objective isn't to suggest that stress caused your pain.
It's to recognise that reducing one burden can sometimes make another easier to carry.
7. Keep Doing Things That Matter to You
Persistent pain can gradually make life smaller.
You stop doing one activity because it hurts.
Then another.
You see people less often.
You lose confidence.
Eventually, life can begin to revolve around what your pain will allow you to do.
Some restrictions may be unavoidable, but try not to let pain remove everything that gives your life enjoyment or meaning.
Perhaps an activity needs adapting.
Maybe you can do it for less time.
Perhaps you need more breaks.
Or you may need to find something new that gives you a similar sense of enjoyment.
NHS advice for people living with long-term pain specifically encourages maintaining contact with friends and family rather than becoming isolated.
Pain deserves attention.
But it doesn't deserve all of your attention.
8. Consider Psychological Approaches to Pain Management
This is sometimes misunderstood.
Being offered psychological support for persistent pain does not mean somebody thinks the pain is imaginary.
Living with pain can be exhausting, frightening and frustrating. It can affect mood, sleep, relationships, work and confidence.
Psychological approaches can help with the way you respond to that experience.
For chronic primary pain specifically, NICE recommends considering cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for pain or acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) when delivered by appropriately trained healthcare professionals.
These approaches aren't about pretending pain doesn't exist.
They're about helping you live as well as possible despite it.
9. What About Acupuncture?
Some people are interested in acupuncture as a more natural approach to pain relief.
The evidence and recommendations vary depending on the type and cause of pain, so it shouldn't be assumed that acupuncture is appropriate for every pain condition.
However, NICE says that a limited course of acupuncture or dry needling can be considered for adults with chronic primary pain when delivered under specified conditions by an appropriately trained healthcare professional.
If you're considering acupuncture, discuss whether it's appropriate for your particular condition rather than treating it as a universal pain remedy.
10. Be Cautious With Anything Promising to “Cure” Chronic Pain
If you've lived with pain for a long time, promises of rapid or permanent relief can understandably be tempting.
Be wary of treatments, supplements or programmes claiming that they can cure every kind of pain.
Persistent pain has many different causes.
Something appropriate for one condition may be ineffective — or inappropriate — for another.
I think a more realistic question is:
What can help me manage my pain and improve my quality of life?
Sometimes that means medical treatment.
Sometimes physiotherapy or appropriate exercise.
Sometimes psychological support.
Sometimes relaxation or complementary approaches.
And often it means a combination.
Can Self-Hypnosis Help With Pain Management?
Self-hypnosis is one complementary approach that can be used alongside conventional medical care.
During hypnosis, you're not unconscious and you don't lose control.
Instead, you enter a relaxed state while focusing your attention more deliberately.
For somebody living with ongoing discomfort, that may involve learning to release unnecessary muscular tension, directing attention away from constant monitoring of pain and using imagery associated with comfort and calm.
Some people might imagine warmth around an uncomfortable area.
Others prefer coolness, heaviness, lightness or simply imagining the sensation becoming more distant.
There isn't one particular image that everybody has to use.
The aim isn't to convince yourself that pain isn't there.
It's to develop a calmer response to the discomfort and reduce some of the tension and distress that can become wrapped around it.
Importantly, NICE does not currently make a recommendation for relaxation or mindfulness specifically as treatments for chronic primary pain because it found insufficient evidence to do so, although its evidence review suggested there may be some benefit.
That's why I position self-hypnosis as a complementary self-help and relaxation tool, not as a medical treatment or cure.
Natural Pain Relief Self-Hypnosis MP3 + Companion eBook
I've created my Natural Pain Relief Self-Hypnosis MP3 and companion eBook for people who want an additional way to support relaxation and the self-management of persistent or recurring discomfort.
The hypnosis recording lasts approximately 45 minutes and includes guided breathing, deep physical relaxation, imagery and suggestions designed to encourage greater comfort, calmness and a sense of control.
The companion eBook provides practical self-management ideas that can be used alongside the recording.
Price: £9.95
The programme is intended to complement appropriate medical care. It isn't designed to diagnose or treat the cause of pain, and you should continue following advice from your GP, consultant or other healthcare professional.
When Should I Get Medical Advice About Pain?
If you're experiencing new, severe, unexplained or worsening pain, seek appropriate medical advice rather than assuming it's something you should manage yourself.
If you're already living with long-term pain but are finding it increasingly difficult to manage, speak to your GP.
The NHS advises that people having difficulty managing pain can ask their GP about referral to a specialist pain clinic. Pain clinics may provide a combination of approaches and help people develop skills for managing persistent pain.
You can also read the current NICE guidance covering the assessment and management of chronic primary pain:
Frequently Asked Questions About Natural Pain Relief
What is the best natural pain relief?
There isn't one natural approach that's best for every type of pain. The appropriate approach depends on what's causing the pain, your health and how the pain affects you. Appropriate physical activity, pacing, relaxation, sleep management and psychological approaches may all form part of a broader pain-management plan.
How can I manage chronic pain naturally?
Start by making sure the cause of your pain has been appropriately assessed. Depending on your condition and professional advice, pain management may then include suitable physical activity, pacing, improving sleep, managing stress and using relaxation or complementary approaches alongside medical treatment.
Does exercise help chronic pain?
For chronic primary pain, NICE recommends supervised group exercise and encourages continued physical activity for longer-term health benefits, taking individual circumstances and abilities into account. Other pain conditions may require different advice, so check with an appropriate healthcare professional if you're unsure what activity is safe.
Can relaxation help with pain?
Relaxation can help reduce unnecessary tension and may make persistent discomfort easier to cope with. NHS pain-management advice includes relaxation among self-management approaches. It shouldn't be considered a substitute for diagnosis or treatment of the underlying cause.
Can hypnosis get rid of pain?
I wouldn't promise that hypnosis can remove pain or treat its underlying cause. I use self-hypnosis as a complementary approach designed to encourage relaxation, reduce tension and help people develop a calmer response to ongoing discomfort.
Can poor sleep make pain worse?
Yes. The NHS notes that sleep deprivation can worsen pain. Pain can also interfere with sleep, creating a difficult cycle. If pain is regularly preventing you from sleeping, discuss it with your GP or healthcare professional.
Living Better With Persistent Pain
When you've lived with pain for a long time, it's natural to focus on finding something that will make it disappear.
Sometimes the underlying cause can be successfully treated.
Sometimes persistent pain has to be managed over a longer period.
In that situation, progress doesn't necessarily mean waking up one morning with no discomfort whatsoever.
It might mean sleeping better.
Moving more confidently.
Feeling less tense.
Having fewer days dominated by worry about pain.
Returning to something you enjoy.
Or simply feeling that you have more ways of responding when the pain becomes difficult.
Natural and complementary approaches can form part of that picture, but they work best when they're considered as part of a sensible, individual pain-management plan rather than as an alternative to appropriate healthcare.
If relaxation and self-hypnosis are approaches you'd like to explore, you can find out more about my Natural Pain Relief Self-Hypnosis MP3 + companion eBook here.
Sharon ShinwellUK Clinical Hypnotherapist, Counsellor, Psychotherapist & Clinical SupervisorMore than 25 years' professional experience
