Chronic pain is something that affects up to 1 in 5 Australians — and that number represents 3.6 million of us. This pain doesn’t just affect your body; it impacts your mental and emotional wellbeing, and can feel incredibly isolating along the way. Conditions like fibromyalgia, arthritis, and long-term back pain require more than just physical treatment. Combining therapies — such as physiotherapy, psychology, and occupational therapy — can offer more effective relief and help you regain control over your life.
Combining physiotherapy with mindfulness and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) provides a gentle, effective method for managing chronic pain and enhancing overall wellbeing. We take this holistic approach at Wellness Embodied to address emotional, physical, and social aspects in a personalised care plan that targets the root cause of your pain — ultimately helping you lead a more balanced, fulfilling life.
Physiotherapy is frequently the first course of action when treating chronic pain. Physiotherapists use targeted exercises, stretching, and manual therapies to restore mobility, build strength, and correct posture. Fascinatingly, physiotherapy also helps retrain the brain’s response to pain. When chronic pain sets in, your body tends to tighten up or avoid movement, which can in turn make the pain worse. Through targeted exercises, physiotherapy gently reintroduces movement, helping to break this cycle. This approach encourages your body to move more freely, reducing pain over time and restoring functional mobility. For example, strength training, cardiovascular activities, and gentle stretching can help prevent muscle stiffness, reduce inflammation, and improve blood flow to the areas causing frequent pain. Regular exercise also encourages the release of the body’s natural painkillers: endorphins. Physiotherapy empowers you to manage your condition proactively by working towards gradual improvement rather than rapid solutions. This sense of control and concentration has significant psychological advantages.
Although physical therapies are essential, chronic pain also has a psychological component that we tend to discredit when we are suffering. Anxiety, frustration, and helplessness are just a few of the negative thoughts and feelings that chronic pain frequently produces, which can increase your physical symptoms. This is where cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and mindfulness play a role. Mindfulness helps you observe your pain and stress without judgment, allowing you to manage these sensations calmly, rather than feeling overwhelmed by these normal and natural emotional reactions. Regular mindfulness practice can reduce stress and discomfort by calming your nervous system.
Research shows that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is effective for chronic pain sufferers, often reducing pain intensity and improving emotional resilience (Kabat-Zinn et al., 2016).
CBT addresses the negative thought patterns linked to chronic pain. It can potentially help you reframe thoughts like, ”This is unbearable,” or “I’ll never be the same,” — rumination that can worsen your suffering. CBT teaches you to replace these thoughts with more balanced ones, reducing the emotional impact of pain and its severity over time (Williams et al., 2020).
In our experience — and according to the latest in chronic pain care — combining physiotherapy with psychological techniques like CBT and mindfulness yields the best results for people from all walks of life. The physical exercises of physiotherapy provide visual proof of progress. Likewise, CBT and mindfulness works to keep you motivated to stick with your physical therapy, even on challenging days or when pain intensifies.
Wellness Embodied embraces this integrated approach. Our clinicians address both the psychological and physical aspects of pain, guiding you toward long-term health and well-being, not just symptom management.
Managing chronic pain requires a comprehensive, holistic approach — which is why our expert team works together to guide you through relief, recovery, and prevention. Whether recovering from an injury, managing ongoing pain, or looking to prevent future issues, Wellness Embodied provides a full-circle approach to support your wellbeing. With psychology support included, we ensure you’re cared for on the inside as well as the outside.
