Holistic Approaches to Chronic Pain Management: Insight From Dr. Brandon Claflin
Chronic pain affects 12 million people across the United States. Some of these people can manage their pain at home and still enjoy some activities, while others need professional help to regain their quality of life.
While conventional treatments like medication and procedures can help relieve pain, they often come with side effects or limitations. Because of this, many people opt to explore holistic approaches to chronic pain management.
Read on to learn more about integrative pain management with Dr. Brandon Claflin.
What Is Holistic Pain Management?
Holistic pain management focuses on treating the root causes of pain rather than just masking symptoms. It focuses on how the body, mind, and spirit connect. While physical pain usually has a physical reason, the extent to which it affects our lives can often be amplified by emotional or lifestyle factors.
Holistic care incorporates natural therapies like meditation, acupuncture, and dietary changes to help address all of these different factors that influence how we experience pain. This approach is especially helpful for anyone who wants to steer clear of non-invasive methods, although it can also help those who are looking to add a holistic element to their conventional treatments.
3 Holistic Approaches to Chronic Pain Management
Holistic pain management is all about treating every aspect of pain to help you have as few limitations as possible. Dr. Brandon Claflin shares more about specific methods of holistic pain management below.
1. Mind-Body Practices
There is a huge connection between mental and physical health, which means that mindfulness can be a great tool to help reduce your pain. Meditation and techniques like deep breathing and body scans can reduce stress and reframe the way a person experiences pain.
These methods have been shown to affect pain signals in the brain. For instance, yoga and tai chi combine gentle movements, breathing exercises, and meditation, improving flexibility and relaxation while easing tension in muscles and joints. Doing this regularly can improve physical strength and mental clarity, which can make it easier to cope with pain.
2. Complementary Therapies
Some people opt for complementary therapies like acupuncture and massage. Acupuncture involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to help stimulate natural healing and reduce inflammation. It can be especially effective for conditions like back pain and arthritis.
Massage therapy relaxes tense muscles, improves circulation, and helps us feel more relaxed emotionally, as well. Chiropractic care is another great approach that addresses misalignments in the spine, which can help ease nerve-related pain. Dr. Claflin emphasizes that these therapies are generally best used alongside conventional treatments.
3. Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle changes can help you target the root cause of your pain. Nutrition is one change to recommend. For instance, a dietitian might recommend adopting an anti-inflammatory diet. One such anti-inflammatory meal plan might be rich in omega-3 fatty acids, soothing herbs, and leafy greens, which could help reduce inflammation and pain.
Dr. Claflin also shares that regular, low-impact exercise, like swimming or walking, can strengthen muscles, improve joint function, and give you a mental health boost, thanks to the release of endorphins. Getting enough sleep and managing stress (journaling or aromatherapy are great places to start) are other ways to support the body and mind.
When making lifestyle changes, remember to start slow and ask your pain management specialist before making any adjustments. Additionally, stressing about making all these changes at once can make pain worse. Ensuring plans are realistic can help people ease into new habits.
How Does Mental Health Affect Pain Management?
Chronic pain doesn’t just affect the body — it takes a toll on mental health, too. Constant pain can lead to feelings of frustration, anxiety, or depression, and these feelings can, in turn, exacerbate the pain, creating a vicious cycle.
Because of this, addressing mental health is one of the key parts of any holistic approach to pain. Aside from the stress-reduction techniques we discussed above, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is another effective tool. Using CBT, therapists can help individuals reframe negative thoughts about pain.
Does Holistic Pain Management Really Work?
Integrative pain management combines the best of holistic and conventional medicine, which means it really can help. For example, a person with chronic back pain might pair physical therapy with acupuncture or yoga. This can help address the pain from multiple angles, as it combines stretching and mobility training with mindfulness.
There’s also some pretty solid evidence behind this. Dr. Claflin of Oklahoma shares that
Studies show improvements in mobility, mental health, and long-term pain management when patients take a holistic approach. The flexibility of combining different treatments can also help patients and providers create even more customized care plans.
Why Doesn’t Everyone Use Holistic Pain Management?
Despite its benefits, holistic pain management can be quite expensive and misunderstood. Many people wrongly assume that holistic treatments lack scientific backing, even though the research supports therapies like mindfulness.
As for cost, some treatments aren’t covered by insurance or might not be available near you. This can obviously make getting holistic pain management quite difficult. Local organizations and community health programs can help make these therapies more accessible, depending on your location.
How To Find the Right Holistic Pain Management Specialist
The first step is finding the right holistic pain professionals to work with. According to Dr. Claflin, it’s important to see if the individuals are licensed. For example, working with licensed acupuncturists (L.Ac.) or registered dietitians helps ensure treatments are safe and effective. Discuss your goals with your pain management specialist; they may have suggestions for providers and therapies based on your pain.
Start gradually, incorporating one or two changes at a time, such as a daily mindfulness exercise. Track your progress so you and your pain management doctor can adjust your plan as needed.
Treating Pain Holistically: Final Thoughts
Holistic approaches to chronic pain management are a way to address pain naturally, and many people use these approaches alongside conventional pain management techniques. By focusing on the whole person — mind, body, and spirit — these methods can help relieve symptoms and restore quality of life.