At Pathways (download links below), visualization is one of the key pain management techniques we practice. Guided imagery is often combined with body scan meditations, deep breathing, and music therapy. All seven studies supported guided imagery as a useful modality for treating pain, with positive effects on psychological well-being, mobility, anxiety, and improved self-efficacy in managing pain and symptoms. For example, a systematic review (Giacobbi et al., 2015) evaluated seven studies on guided imagery for rheumatic conditions. There’s a lot of science to back up the use of guided imagery in treating chronic pain. The pain-free imagined movement helps to reduce pain sensitivity, and break the association your brain has made between movements and pain. In a practice called graded motor imagery, we can use visualization to imagine ourselves performing painful movements, pain-free. You can also reframe difficult thoughts and emotions using imagery. You can imagine pain releasing on each exhale. Popular practices include imagining healthy cells fighting bad cells. You can practice guided imagery in a virtually unlimited number of ways. Imagine that each time you practice a positive pain relieving visualization, the more you break the chronic pain cycle. The more often you’re able to redirect your focus away from pain, the weaker neural pathways associated with pain become. These images distract us from pain and provide us with a sense of comfort and control. Our imagination allows us to create positive, pleasant images. Guided imagery places our mind into a state of deep relaxation, reducing the presence of stress hormones, decreasing muscle tension, and ultimately shifting our attention away from pain.
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