An Integrative Health approach to self-management of chronic pain incorporates cognitive behavioral therapies, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis, autogenic training, and other integrative practices.  The approach also emphasizes clinician-patient communication and goal setting strategies.

Integrative Health emphasizes mindful awareness and patient self-care along with conventional and integrative approaches to health and well-being.  The Circle of Health highlights eight areas of self-care: Physical Activity, Surroundings, Personal Development, Nutrition, Recharge, Family Friends, & Co-Workers, Spirit & Soul, and Mind and Emotions.  The narrative below shows what an Integrative Health clinical visit could look like and how to apply the latest research on complementary and integrative health to the self-management of chronic pain.

Meet the Patient

Matt is a 30-year-old man who has been struggling for the past several years with depression, unexplained back pain and headaches, as well as PTSD.  He is married and has two young children at home. On some nights, when his headaches and back pain keep him from sleeping, he thinks about his traumatic past.  Occasionally, he still has nightmares.

Matt has a good deal of social support including his wife, his parents, two sisters, and a few good friends.  His primary care clinician referred him to a therapist to address his traumatic experiences and also recommended that he speak with a chaplain. He has been willing to talk with his therapist about his struggles and has worked on telling his story.  While this has helped his PTSD, it did not resolve all of his symptoms.  His therapist suggested Cognitive processing therapy for his nightmares, which has helped.  In general, his mood-related symptoms have improved over the past few months, and he is feeling less depressed.

Matt’s focus now is his pain—headaches and back pain.  His headaches have waxed and waned over the last 5 years, but they have become increasingly persistent in the last year.  He has tried a number of different treatments for his headaches and back pain, including chiropractic care and medications.  He finds that he gets minimal relief from these treatments and does not feel that his pain is well controlled.