When chronic pain lingers for months – or even years – it can feel like it has taken over your life. Unlike acute pain, which fades as the body heals, chronic pain continues long after the original injury or condition has resolved, often without a clear reason.
Without effective chronic pain therapy, pain can become more intense, and daily life can feel overwhelming. That’s why treatment needs to go beyond temporary relief.
Chronic pain can stem from a variety of underlying conditions, including:
Past injuries, whether from sports, accidents, or repetitive strain, can lead to long-term pain even after the initial wound has healed. Herniated discs, joint damage, or soft tissue injuries may cause persistent discomfort. This is often due to nerve irritation or improper healing.
Living with arthritis, fibromyalgia, or an autoimmune disorder often means waking up feeling like you ran a marathon in your sleep. You can feel stiff, sore, and completely drained before the day even starts. The pain can shift, flare up unexpectedly, or linger for weeks, making even simple tasks feel exhausting.
These conditions are more than just aches and pains. They stem from inflammation, immune system overreactions, or muscle and joint deterioration, which can make daily life unpredictable.
Nerve-related conditions like neuropathy, migraines, and multiple sclerosis can cause pain that feels unpredictable and impossible to ignore. For some, it’s a constant burning or tingling sensation that never quite goes away. For others, it’s intense, throbbing headaches that hijack entire days.
Unlike pain from an injury, neurological pain comes from misfiring nerve signals or damage deep within the nervous system, making it harder to treat with over-the-counter medications or rest.
Pain doesn’t just affect the body. It reshapes daily life, alters emotions, and can cloud mental well-being. Individuals living with chronic pain often find themselves in a cycle of frustration, exhaustion, and hopelessness, which can take a serious toll on mental health.
For many people, the first approach is medication, typically including painkillers or anti-inflammatories. While these treatments can provide temporary relief, they often fail to address the underlying cause of pain.
Additionally, painkillers don’t restore mobility, improve posture, or heal damaged tissues. These are things that are crucial for long-term recovery.
At Wellness and Recovery, our comprehensive approach involves the following evidence-based chronic pain therapies:
Pain is a physical sensation that’s also influenced by how the brain perceives and responds to it. CBT helps people reframe their thoughts about their pain, reducing distress and improving their ability to cope.
CBT can also help decrease pain intensity, improve mobility, and lower stress levels by changing a person’s response to discomfort.
CBT is a structured, goal-oriented form of talk therapy. It helps individuals change negative thought patterns and behaviors related to pain. Instead of focusing on eliminating pain entirely, CBT teaches people how to manage their perception of pain. This reduces its impact on daily life.
During CBT sessions, individuals can expect to:
Opioids can sometimes be a solution for chronic pain, but over time, these medications can do more harm than good. At Wellness and Recovery, we focus on safe, effective alternatives.
With a customized chronic pain therapy medication plan at Wellness Recovery, you’ll find relief that supports long-term health.
Movement also plays a critical role in chronic pain treatment. Many people with chronic pain avoid exercise for fear of making things worse. However, structured movement can reduce stiffness, increase mobility, and retrain the body to move without pain.
At Wellness and Recovery, we incorporate:
Mind-body therapies like yoga and meditation do more than just help individuals relax – they train the brain and body to handle pain differently.
By practicing slow, intentional movements and deep breathing, yoga can ease muscle tension and improve flexibility, while meditation helps quiet the mental chatter that often makes pain feel worse.
Additionally, these practices are often easy to do at home, meaning relief can be just a few deep breaths away and easily form a part of one’s chronic pain therapy plan.
Wellness and Recovery offers several additional therapies that can be effective for chronic pain therapy. A brief overview of some of these include:
Creative expression through painting, drawing, or sculpting can help individuals process emotions linked to chronic pain while reducing stress and promoting relaxation. Participating in art projects provides a therapeutic outlet that promotes mindfulness and emotional resilience.
DBT can be used as part of a chronic pain therapy plan. It helps individuals manage distress and regulate emotions, which are key factors in coping with chronic pain. Individuals can break cycles of frustration that intensify physical discomfort by learning mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation.
Chronic pain and mental health conditions often go hand in hand. Addressing underlying issues such as depression, anxiety, or trauma during chronic pain therapy ensures that both emotional and physical pain are treated together, creating a more sustainable path to healing.
EMDR helps individuals process past trauma that may contribute to pain-related stress responses. By rewiring the brain’s emotional connections to pain, EMDR chronic pain therapy can lessen pain perception and reduce the emotional burden that exacerbates symptoms.
Engaging with music, whether through listening, playing an instrument, or songwriting, stimulates the brain’s natural pain relief mechanisms. Music therapy has been shown to lower stress hormones, distract from discomfort, and elevate mood, making it a powerful addition to chronic pain therapy.
Nature-based activities like hiking, horse riding, or gardening provide both physical movement and emotional release.
Spending time outdoors promotes endorphin production, reduces stress hormones, and encourages a deeper connection between mind and body, which is essential for managing chronic pain holistically.
REBT helps individuals challenge irrational beliefs about their pain, reframe negative self-talk, and develop a healthier mindset toward healing.
At Wellness and Recovery, we work with every individual who walks through our doors to develop customized SUD and co-occurring chronic pain treatment plans that consider:
Wellness and Recovery offers both inpatient and outpatient treatment options to consider that can treat chronic pain as a co-occurring disorder alongside substance use or mental health conditions.
Chronic pain therapy should focus on maintaining progress for the long haul. That’s why Wellness and Recovery also offers chronic pain therapy aftercare programs. These include peer support groups to equip you with the tools, resources, and community needed after treatment.
With a strong support system, overwhelming pain can be reframed and better handled. Ongoing support can help maintain a healthy and fulfilling life.
At Wellness and Recovery, we offer evidence-based care to address and overcome chronic pain and SUD simultaneously.
Together, we can create a future you’ll love.
