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Two Approaches to Back Pain

For Back Pain

1. Lie on your back on the floor on a comfortable surface, either on a rug or a mat, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

2. Make two fists and place them, knuckles up, under your back, just above your waistline and about an inch from either side of your spine. Let your knuckles settle into your muscles and apply gentle, sustained pressure. Breathe deeply, counting to 5 as you inhale and again to 5 as you exhale. Do this exercise for 3 minutes.

For Headaches

1. Using the thumb and forefinger of your right hand, pinch the muscle mass between your left thumb and forefinger, near the bottom knuckle of your left forefinger.

2. Pinch this point as hard as you can, applying deep pressure, for 15 to 30 seconds. Slowly release.

3. Repeat on the right hand.

For Neck Pain

1. Sit and look straight ahead. Press your fingertips on the muscles at the back of your neck so your fingertips are parallel to your spine and about an inch from either side of it. Breathe deeply, inhaling and exhaling for 5 counts each. Repeat 2 or 3 times.

2. On your next inhalation, gently tilt your head backward about 45 degrees, keeping your fingertips in place. Exhale and bring your head forward about 45 degrees in the opposite direction.

3. Repeat 2 or 3 more times.

Create Space for Your Pain

Gatanis and Frey teach their patients to use meditation combined with visualization to think less negatively about their pain. They say pain sufferers tend to condemn the painful parts of their body, which increases their mental distress and muscular tension.

"We teach our clients to approach their pain with curious and caring intention, not anger and blame," says Gatanis. The following meditation not only loosens the mental and physical tensions around body parts that hurt, but it can also increase circulation, bringing oxygen and other nutrients needed for healing to tense areas. Practice this meditation for 10 to 15 minutes every day. Then follow it with the "Talk to Your Pain" section of the program, below.

1. Sit in a quiet place and think about which part of your body holds stress or pain.

2. Slowly inhale and imagine space and light around the pain; let the pain float freely in this space and light.

3. As you slowly exhale, make an "ahhh" sound and gently move the painful part of your body in tiny increments.

4. Continue slowly inhaling and exhaling, and on each exhalation move the painful area in a different direction. Pay attention to whether any of these movements ease the pain. As you explore your pain, imagine the space around it growing larger.

5. Don't pressure your pain to go away or get into a struggle with it. Just continue visualizing it floating in space and light.