Resources
(many are free)
Use these helpful self-management tools (all are free)
Relaxation and movement exercises to do
General
Watch these videos. Listen to these podcast episodes.
Read these books/guides (some are free)
Read my articles
Find a pain psychologist
Be sure to look for a provider familiar with modern pain science, pain rehabilitation, and self-management, as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and/or Acceptance Commitment Therapy.
Find a pain rehabilitation program
Please review and compare programs before attending - not all programs are the same. Interdisciplinary programs based on the biopsychosocial model with an emphasis on self-management are the gold standard. Learn more about pain rehabilitation, interdisciplinary treatment and my experience at the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center.
In the U.S.
Outside the U.S.
Australia
Ulysses Pain Management Programme
New Zealand
Practical Interdisciplinary Pelvic Pain Intervention
Download these apps (many are free with paid add-ons)
Get the news
Hear the latest (podcasts)
Listen/read/watch my interviews
Visit these sites
Read these blogs
Connect with people
Use these templates/forms
Play to win
- Print version
External links are not maintained by or are in any way affiliated with Chronic Pain Champions, LLC, and are provided for information only as a convenience. They don't constitute an endorsement, representation or warranty of any third party. If you decide to access a linked website, you do so at your own risk. Your use of other websites is subject to the terms of use for such sites.
Relaxation and movement exercises to do
- 5 of the best exercises you can ever do
- Audio Meditation - Visualize your Pain (9:54)
- Breathe Bubble | Breathe Exercises - Sea - Think Nothing Exercise - Calm (2:11)
- Calm YouTube channel - a variety of helpful videos
- Guided Imagery for Pain Relief (9:55)
- Guided Imagery Practice For Pain (9:43)
- Guided Meditation for Chronic Pain & Fibromyalgia (13:19)
- Meditation for chronic pain (7:02)
- Mindful Breathing (Mayo Clinic)
- Mindfulness Bell - A 5 Minute Mindfulness Meditation (5:24)
- Mindfulness exercises
- Mindfulness for Physical Pain
- Passive Muscle Relaxation (37:28)
- Passive Muscle Relaxation (15:39)
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation to Manage Anxiety and Stress (15:00)
- Rainforest Sounds (2:29:30) - perfect background for deep breathing or quiet meditation
- Sleepy Time Sensation (YouTube channel of soothing sounds)
- Tai Chi Chih - Joy Through Movement (50:08)
- Take a deep breath - Calm (2:59)
- Yoga For Chronic Pain | Yoga With Adriene (25:33)
General
- 50 ways to live well, despite pain (my paper)
- Control what you can control (my paper)
- How to Move Patients from Passive Management to Active Self-Management (my article)
- Self-Management of Chronic Pain
- Tips for better sleep (my paper)
- Tips for people living with chronic pain - add your suggestions to the bulletin board (my project)
- Tools for recovery – Plan for Flare ups (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Hopping Off the Pain Merry-go-round (my article)
- Pain and Me: Tamar Pincus talks about chronic pain, acceptance, and commitment (3:06)
- Radically Accepting Chronic Pain
- Pain, Ambiguous Loss and Acceptance (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to Help Chronic Pain
- Cognitive Restructuring Worksheet
- DIM SIM Therapy
- Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated Guide
- How Cognitive Control Can Boost Well-Being
- How to Stop Your Pain with Your Mind
- Managing Chronic Pain: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach
- Pain, the Brain and Your Amazing Protectometer - Lorimer Moseley (1:23:09) - DIMS and SIMS
- Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress
- Relaxing affirmations for chronic pain (29:51)
- Replacement Thought Examples
- Top 10 Ways to Reduce Anxiety
- How To Use CBT Thought Records To Change The Way You Feel
- What is CBT?
- Activity Pacing
- Activity pacing: moving beyond taking breaks and slowing down
- Chronic pain self-management: Pacing and goal setting
- Goal Setting for Pain Rehabilitation
- Pacing For Pain
- Pacing – how to manage your pain and stay active
- The role of avoidance, pacing, and other activity patterns in chronic pain
- Tools for recovery – Boom or bust vs pacing (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- What Goals Have You Set Recently? (my blog post)
- 10 Habits of Highly Resilient People
- How to Build Resilience and Boost Your Mental Health
- What Chronic Pain Has Taught Me About Resilience - Dr. Trung Ngo (16:49)
- 13 Most Popular Gratitude Exercises & Activities
- A Grateful Day with Brother David Steindl-Rast (5:22)
- How to Forgive in Six Steps
- How Mindfulness and Gratitude Go Hand in Hand
- The power of forgiveness (3:28)
- How to Forgive Someone Who Traumatized You
- The importance of forgiveness and gratitude (my blog post)
- Your 5-day gratitude challenge: 5 exercises to increase your gratefulness
- Airplane Classic Scenes
- Back to School - Professor Terguson Loses It Scene
- Chippendales Audition - SNL
- Dr. Rick Progressive Insurance Commercial Compilation
- Fire Marshall Bill at Magic Show
- Funny signs, headlines, and more
- Homes for Every Homebuyer: Trolls - Realtor.com®
- Monty Python Olympics
- More Cowbell - SNL
- "Weird Al" Yankovic - Fat
- "Weird Al" Yankovic - Like A Surgeon
- "Weird Al" Yankovic - Living With A Hernia
- "Weird Al" Yankovic - Perform This Way
- "Weird Al" Yankovic - Smells Like Nirvana
- "Weird Al" Yankovic - Wanna be Your Lover
- 12 Reasons To Be Happier - Dr. Amit Sood, Mayo Clinic (5:05)
- Anger management: 10 tips to tame your temper
- Are You a Perfectionist? (2:09)
- Breathe to Heal | Max Strom | TEDxCapeMay (18:32)
- Flare-up Management Planning
- How to Humor Your Stress | Loretta LaRoche | TEDxNewBedford (20:50)
- Neuroscience shows listening to music has kind of the same effect as meditation
- Self-Compassion Guided Practices and Exercises
- Supported Self-Management—From a Lived Experience Perspective
- Use mindfulness to cope with chronic pain
- Understanding The Difference Between Pain and Suffering
- When Chronic Pain Leads to Chronic Anger
Watch these videos. Listen to these podcast episodes.
- Central Sensitization Syndrome (CSS) - Dr. Christopher Sletten (22:19)
- The Truth About Managing Chronic Pain (w/Dr. Rachel Zoffness) - ZDoggMD (1:39:10)
- Dr. Sean Mackey: Tools to Reduce & Manage Pain (2:56:41)
- Central Sensitization - Modern Pain Podcast (16:00)
- Find The Source of Chronic Pain | Recorded Webinar - Dr. Evan Parks (55:25)
- Chronic Pain - Is it All in Their Head? - Dr. Daniel J. Clauw (1:54:18)
- Chronic Pain Management with Dr. Vania Apkarian and Dr. Melissa Farmer - Blink on an Eye (1:17:04)
- Chronic Pain Management – Non-drug therapies - Dr. Daniel Clauw (18:59)
- Dr. Peter O'Sullivan: Disabling Chronic Back Pain - The Mechanical Care Forum (47:32)
- Dolorology (PAIN) with Rachel Zoffness (1:34:14)
- Compass Opioid Stewardship -Mind Body Medicine's Approach to Chronic Pain: An Interview with Dr. Howard Schubin
- Getting a Grip on Pain and the Brain - Lorimer Moseley (40:41)
- ANZBACK Public Lecture 2023: Rethinking How Low Back Pain is Treated (1:05:47)
- Learning to Champion Chronic Pain: An Interview with Tom Bowen - Compass Opioid Stewardship (1:18:16) (my interview)
- Let's Talk About Pain - Dr. Andrea Furlan (a series of informative videos)
- Making Sense of Disabling Back Pain - Peter O’Sullivan Koadlow Lecture 2021 (1:30:29)
- Overcoming fear of movement in osteoarthritis - Joint Action Podcast (44:03)
- Pain and Me: Tamar Pincus talks about chronic pain, acceptance, and commitment (3:06)
- Pain Rehabilitation Center: Mayo Clinic Radio (9:44)
- Pain, the Brain and Your Amazing Protectometer - Lorimer Moseley (1:23:09) - DIMS and SIMS
- Pain Psychologist Dr. Rachel Zoffness - Radically Genuine Podcast (1:03:19)
- Tame the Beast – It's time to rethink persistent pain - Lorimer Mosely (5:00)
- The BEST WAYS To Heal Chronic Pain & Trauma WITHOUT Medication | Howard Schubiner
- The Hardest Pill to Swallow | Tracy Jackson | TEDxNashville (18:44)
- Dr. Rachel Zoffness on the Science of Pain: Myths, Truths, and Understanding - Finding Mastery (1:05:44)
- Treating Pain Using the Brain - David Butler (1:15)
- Understanding Pain Video - Beyond Pain (11:44)
- Understanding pain & what to do about it in less than 5 minutes - VA (5:00)
- Unlocking the Medicine Box in Your Mind - Dr. Beth Darnall (37:42)
- What Chronic Pain Has Taught Me About Resilience - Dr. Trung Ngo (16:49)
- TEDxAdelaide - Lorimer Moseley - Why Things Hurt (14:32)
Read these books/guides (some are free)
- 8 Steps to Conquer Chronic Pain: A Doctor's Guide to Lifelong Relief - Andrea Furlan
- Back in Control - David Hanscom (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Chronic Pain Rehabilitation - Evan Parks (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Chronic Pain Won't Stop Me: Tools to Make the Most of Life, Despite Chronic Pain - Tom Bowen (my free e-book)
- Facing Fear: Step Out in Faith and Rise Above What's Holding You Back - Nik Wallenda
- How to Have Hope When There is No Cure: A comprehensive guide to chronic pain rehabilitation - Murray J. McAllister
- Living Well with Chronic Pain - U.S. Pain Foundation (free e-book)
- Living well with pain - Ben Cormack (free e-book)
- Mayo Clinic Guide to Fibromyalgia - Mayo Clinic
- Mayo Clinic Guide to Pain Relief, Second Edition - Mayo Clinic
- Navigating Pain - New Zealand Pain Society (free e-book)
- Nothing To Fear. Just A Noise In My Ear. - Tom Bowen (my free tinnitus e-book for children)
- Pain Guide - University of Michigan Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center (free digital guide)
- Pain is Really Strange - Steve Haines
- Pain Management Guide Book - The Honest Physio (free e-book)
- Pain Toolkit - Pete Moore
- Restoring Venus: A Journey from Chronic Pain to Possibilities - Amy Eicher
- Stories of Hope: For those who want to learn to live well with pain - Amy Eicher
- The Chronic Pain and Illness Workbook for Teens - Rachel Zoffness (Chronic Pain Champions Member)
- The Explain Pain Handbook Protectometer - David Butler and Lorimer Moseley
- The Pain-Free Mindset – 7 Steps to Taking Control & Overcoming Chronic Pain - Deepak Ravindran
- The Pain Survival Guide: How to Become Resilient and Reclaim Your Life - Dennis C. Turk and Frits Winter
- The Painful Truth: The new science of why we hurt and how we can heal - Monty Lyman
- The Pain Management Workbook - Rachel Zoffness (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- The Way Out: A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain - Alan Gordon
- Understand and Overcome Your Chronic Pain - Richmond Stace (Chronic Pain Champions Member)
- Unlearn Your Pain - Howard Schubiner
- Where Does It Hurt?: A memoir of life with chronic pain - Tim Atkinson (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Why Does It Still Hurt?: How the Power of Knowledge Can Overcome Chronic Pain - Paul Biegle
Read my articles
- How to Move Patients from Passive Management to Active Self-Management
- A Letter to Pain Providers: 10 Do and Don’t Tips from a Chronic Pain Patient
- We Have a Chronic Pain Problem, Not a Prescription Opioid Problem
- Are You Missing Two-Thirds of Your Potential Pain Treatment Plan?
- Five things I wish I knew earlier in my journey with chronic pain
- Hopping Off the Pain Merry-go-round
- My Time at the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center
- Stop Whining and More No-Nonsense Tips from a Chronic Pain Champion
- 25 Tips to Get the Best Treatment
- Tinnitus: Part of a Larger Puzzle and Challenge
- Living With Chronic Pain: ‘Suffering Is a Choice, and I Choose Not to Suffer’ (GoodRX article about my experience)
Find a pain psychologist
Be sure to look for a provider familiar with modern pain science, pain rehabilitation, and self-management, as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and/or Acceptance Commitment Therapy.
- American Association of Pain Psychology - offers a search feature to connect with a pain psychologist
- Find a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Specialist - from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.
- Psychology Today - offers a search feature to connect with a psychologist
Find a pain rehabilitation program
Please review and compare programs before attending - not all programs are the same. Interdisciplinary programs based on the biopsychosocial model with an emphasis on self-management are the gold standard. Learn more about pain rehabilitation, interdisciplinary treatment and my experience at the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center.
In the U.S.
- Brooks Pain Rehabilitation Program - Florida
- Cleveland Clinic Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program - Ohio
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Functional Restoration Program - New Hampshire
- Functional Restoration Program at Ochsner Baptist - New Orleans
- John Hopkins Pain Treatment Center - Maryland
- Indiana Health Pain Rehabilitation Program - Indiana
- Mary Free Bed Pain Rehabilitation Program - Michigan (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center - Minnesota, Florida, Arizona (the program I attended)
- Nebraska Medicine Chronic Pain Management Program - Nebraska
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab - Illinois
- Stanford Pain Rehabilitation Program - California
- University of Toledo Pain Rehabilitation - Ohio
Outside the U.S.
Australia
- Painaustralia - listing of pain therapies, programs, and resources
- Albury Wodonga Health Chronic Pain Management Program
- Mt Wilga Private Rehabilitation Hospital
- Michael G. DeGroote Pain Clinic
- Nova Scotia Pain Self-Management Program
- Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute
- Transitional Pain Service
- Bath Centre for Pain Services
- Guys and St Thomas' Pain Management and Neuromodulation Centre
- Manchester Pain Service
- Plymouth Pain Management Programme
- Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital UK Pain Management & Active Back Programmes
- St George Chronic Pain Self-Management Pain Service
Ulysses Pain Management Programme
New Zealand
Practical Interdisciplinary Pelvic Pain Intervention
Download these apps (many are free with paid add-ons)
- 1step2life (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Aivo Pain Management (Free - Android/IOS)
- Bellybio (Free - IOS)
- Breath2Relax (Free - Android/IOS)
- Breathly (Free - Android/IOS)
- Calm
- Curable
- Headspace
- iBreathe (Free- IOS)
- Mindfulness Bell (Free - Android/IOS)
- Mindshift CBT (Free - Android/IOS)
- My Health Story
- Pathways
- Smiling Mind (Free - Android/IOS)
- The Breathing App (Free - Android/IOS)
- UCLA Mindful App (Free - Android/IOS)
Get the news
- Pain News Network
- Practical Pain Management (I'm a patient advocate on the Practical Pain Management Editorial Board)
- Relief: Pain Research News, Insights, and Ideas (IASP Pain Research Forum)
- Science Daily Pain Control News
- Stat
Hear the latest (podcasts)
- Airing Pain
- Back in Control (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Compass Opioid Stewardship (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Courage for Pain (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Empowered Beyond Pain
- Encourager
- Feel Better. Live More.
- Joint Action
- Modern Pain Care (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Pain Reframed
- Radically Genuine Podcast
- The Chronic Pain Experience (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- The Knowledge Exchange (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- ZDOGG MD
Listen/read/watch my interviews
- Book Plug - Chronic Pain Won't Stop Me (Part of Footsteps Festival 2021)
- Compass Opioid Stewardship - Learning to Champion Chronic Pain
- Good Rx
- Modern Pain Care
- Pain Toolkit
- The 15 Minute Pain Experience (The Chronic Pain Experience)
- The 15 Minute Pain Experience (Community for the win)
- The Knowledge Exchange
Visit these sites
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- American Association of Pain Psychology - offers a search feature to connect with a pain psychologist
- American Chronic Pain Association
- American Migraine Foundation
- American Sleep Association
- American Tinnitus Association
- Australian Pain Management Association
- Back in Control
- British Pain Society
- Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center (University of Michigan)
- Chronic Pain Ireland
- Compass Opioid Stewardship Program
- Flippin’ Pain
- Footsteps Festival
- Institute for Chronic Pain
- Live Well with Pain
- Modern Pain Care
- National Fibromyalgia Association
- Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network (University of Michigan)
- Oregon Pain Management Commission
- Osteoarthritis/Arthritis Association
- Pain Guide (University of Michigan)
- Pain U Online
- Rachel Zoffness (check out the resource links)
- Retrain Pain
- Start Your Recovery
- Tame the Beast
- The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy
- The TMJ Association
- U.S. Pain Foundation
- Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute
- US Association for the Study of Pain
- youngpainHEALTH
Read these blogs
- 1step2life blog (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Back in Control blog (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- Chronic Pain Champions blog (check out the archives and categories from the home page)
- Healthskills blog (written primarily for clinicians, but useful information)
- Institute for Chronic Pain Coping with Pain Series
Connect with people
- Adelaide Pain Support Network Facebook group (Adelaide, Australia)
- Attitude of Gratitude With Chronic Pain Facebook group
- American Chronic Pain Association local support groups
- Chronic Pain Champions – No Whining Allowed Facebook group (my group)
- Exploring Pain: Research & Meaning Facebook group (geared more to clinicians and pain science but open to patients)
- Journaling Through Pain Facebook group (Chronic Pain Champions member)
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- Opioid, Gabapentinoid, Antidepressant Tapering Support Group Facebook group
- Pain Reframed Facebook group (geared more to clinicians and pain science but open to patients)
- People in Pain Network local support groups (Canada)
- The Knowledge Exchange Facebook group (geared more to clinicians and pain science but open to patients - Chronic Pain Champions member)
- TMJ Canada Facebook group
Use these templates/forms
Play to win
- Chronic Pain Champion word search (think how each word applies to your pain journey and how you can champion pain)
- Print version
- Chronic Pain Champion bingo (mark boxes as you complete them each day or use a reminder of tools you can use to manage pain)
External links are not maintained by or are in any way affiliated with Chronic Pain Champions, LLC, and are provided for information only as a convenience. They don't constitute an endorsement, representation or warranty of any third party. If you decide to access a linked website, you do so at your own risk. Your use of other websites is subject to the terms of use for such sites.
CHRONIC PAIN CHAMPIONS, LLC AND THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE.
All information is for educational purposes only. By using this website and any related products/services, you agree to the terms and conditions.
PLEASE SEE THE DISCLAIMER PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
All information is for educational purposes only. By using this website and any related products/services, you agree to the terms and conditions.
PLEASE SEE THE DISCLAIMER PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
©2024
Chronic Pain Champions, LLC
All rights reserved.
For personal, non-commercial use.
Chronic Pain Champions, LLC
All rights reserved.
For personal, non-commercial use.