them gain control over their physical body, including their pain symptoms.
Research suggests that hypnosis can help reduce the need for pain medication by decreasing the anxiety that’s typically associated with pain.
Hypnosis can be effective in treating the following:
- Anxiety
- Asthma
- Chronic pain
- Fears and phobias
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Panic attacks
- Stress
- Migraine
- Obesity
- Thumb sucking
- Sleep problems
- Sexual problems
- Stuttering.
5. Massage
Massage feels great, but it also is a time-tested healing method for various kinds of pain. Through manipulation of the body’s soft tissues, massage therapy influences the muscles, circulation, and lymphatic and nervous systems.
Several clinical studies have shown massage to be an effective pain management therapy. A recent review of multiple trials concluded that massage is beneficial for chronic lower back pain.
Massage can help with the following:
- Anxiety and depression
- Fatigue
- Headaches and migraines
- Pain, including muscle tension, back, shoulder and neck pain
- Repetitive stress injuries
6. Relaxation Therapy
It is well documented that stress can worsen, or even cause, disease — and pain is no exception. When we’re stressed, our bodies go into fight-or-flight mode, which causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate and a tensing of muscles. Over time, this can wreak havoc on our internal organs and musculoskeletal systems.
A variety of relaxation techniques, including guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation, are used in medical settings to counteract these negative effects of stress. Studies have shown that patients who undergo relaxation therapy can experience a reduction in pain symptoms.
7. Tai Chi
Tai chi originated in China and is often referred to as a moving meditation. Practitioners of tai chi conduct a series of slow, gentle movements that are coordinated with deep breathing.
This ancient martial art can be beneficial for emotional and physical ailments, including chronic pain. Tai chi is often prescribed as a complementary therapy to traditional pain management treatments such as medications, but it also is thought to provide preventive benefits against pain.