Key messages

Psychological therapies help you to manage your pain by teaching you how to manage your stress, relax tense muscles and find distractions from pain.
When psychological therapies are suggested, it does not mean that your healthcare team thinks your pain is “in your head” or imagined.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one way you can focus on changing your negative thoughts into more positive ones. A lot of research supports its use to help with pain management.
You can use many relaxation strategies when you feel tense, stressed or in pain.
Distractions are a great way to help you shift focus away from your pain by imagining a favourite scene, remembering a favourite story or doing brain games.
Mindfulness can help you observe your thoughts, emotions and any pain sensations and, over time, learn to accept them so you can manage them in new ways.
Hypnosis and biofeedback can help you adjust how your body experiences pain. Both methods should only be learned with the help of a suitably qualified professional.