When "Fixing" Isn’t Enough: Regaining the Personal Power to Control Your Pain

In my last post, From Overwhelmed to Action: Why Wellness Coaching is the Missing Link to Sustainable Health, we talked about how a coach helps bridge the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. Today, I want to dive into the first—and perhaps most personal—pillar of my coaching practice: Integrative Pain Management.

"Integrative Pain Management isn't about waiting for the pain to disappear before you start living; it’s about using every tool in the shed—movement, mindset, nutrition, sleep and nervous system regulation—to take the steering wheel back from the pain."

If you are reading this and you currently are living in pain or have lived with pain for months or years, I want to start by saying: I see you. In my 30 years as a Physical Therapist, I’ve had the privilege of helping thousands of people find relief. Sometimes, the path is straightforward—a specific exercise or a manual "fix" that gets things back on track. I still love those "aha!" moments in the clinic where a mechanical adjustment provides instant relief. However, I want to do more. Whether you are dealing with a sudden injury or a decade of discomfort, I want to teach you how to stop letting the cycle of pain define the boundaries of your world.

I’ve sat with many of you for whom the standard "fix" didn't stick—where pain, whether acute or chronic, became a lingering shadow. I’ve seen the "stolen" hobbies, the missed family dinners, and that heavy, quiet feeling of helplessness.   I’ve realized that while manual therapy and exercise are vital, the missing piece is often "reclaiming the driver’s seat" of your own nervous system. You aren't a problem to be solved; you are a resilient person with an incredible capacity for change. We aren't just looking for relief; we are looking for your freedom.

The Science of the "Protective Brain"

Modern pain science views pain not just as "tissue damage," but as a complex output of biological, psychological, and social factors. Sometimes the nervous system stays in a "high alert" state even after tissues have healed. Helping clients understand that "hurt does not always equal harm" can lower the fear response.  When pain lasts longer than three to six months, it often stops being a helpful warning sign and becomes a "maladaptive" habit of the nervous system. This is known as Central Sensitization (Engel, 1977). Your brain, in a humble attempt to keep you safe, gets too good at producing pain signals. Think of it like a home security system that is so sensitive it goes off when a leaf blows past the window. You aren't "broken"; your alarm system is just tuned a bit too high.

In our coaching sessions, we don’t just talk—we practice. We use evidence-based tools and the philosophy of Yoga to help "recalibrate" that alarm system. Here is what that looks like in practice:

•  Somatic Tracking (The "Safety" Mode)

  Based on Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), we practice leaning into movement (we call this positive action) while narrating the sensations objectively. Instead of thinking, "My back is exploding," we might say, "I feel a tingly warmth that is moving toward my hip, and I am safe." This practice is supported by a landmark study in JAMA Psychiatry which found that 66% of people using PRT became pain-free or nearly pain-free because they taught their brains to stop viewing safe sensations as dangerous (Ashar et al., 2022).

  
  

• The Softening Breath (The "Observer" Mode)

  Through Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), we learn to uncouple the physical sensation from the emotional "freak-out" that usually follows. We might use a specific breath technique to signal safety to the vagus nerve. Clinical trials show that mindfulness and controlled breathing can reduce the emotional distress of pain by up to 50% (Kabat-Zinn, 1982).

  
  

• The Values Pivot (The "Driver" Mode)

  Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we stop waiting for the pain to hit 0/10 before we start living. We ask: "What would you do today if the pain wasn't the boss of you?" We then find a way to do a "micro-version" of that activity. Research shows that "pain acceptance" is actually a better predictor of long-term wellbeing than the actual intensity of the pain (McCracken & Vowles, 2014).

  
  

• The Wisdom of Yoga Therapy (The "Integrative" Mode)

  Yoga offers us more than just "stretching" and functional exercise. It provides a philosophical framework for healing. Yoga recognizes breath as an adjunct to strength, energy and life force. We don't just use breath to relax; we use it as a foundational tool for physical resilience and core stability. Coaching the breath allows us to steady the nervous system while building a body that feels strong and capable. One of the core "observances" in yoga is Svadhyaya, or self-study. In wellness coaching, we use self-reflection to look at our patterns. I might ask you: When a flare-up happens, what is the first story you tell yourself? Is that story based on "danger" or "protection"? By studying our reactions, we find the space to choose a different path.

"You aren't a problem to be solved; you are a resilient person with an incredible capacity for change. We aren't just looking for relief; we are looking for your freedom."

Moving Forward

I still believe in the power of a "fix" when the path is clear. But I know that the most sustainable health comes when you hold the tools. This is the foundation of the five pillars we will explore in this series:

1. Integrative Pain Management (You're here!)

2. Positive Relationship to Food / Nutrition

3. Stress Resilience

4. Movement / Exercise as Joy

5. Sleep as a Skill

Are you ready to stop fighting your body and start leading it?

If you want a partner who understands the clinical mechanics of your 20-year-old injury and the soulful side of your future healing, I would love to support you.

• [Book a Wellness Consult with Me] — Let’s build your personalized toolkit.

• [Find Other Qualified Wellness Coaches via NBHWC] — Explore the gold standard of coaching.

Citations & Resources

• Ashar, Y. K., et al. (2022). Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo for Patients With Chronic Back Pain. JAMA Psychiatry.

• Engel, G. L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: A challenge for biomedicine. Science.

• Kabat-Zinn, J. (1982). An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients. General Hospital Psychiatry.

• McCracken, L. M., & Vowles, K. E. (2014). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness for Chronic Pain. The Journal of Pain.