Mindset Matters: A Unique Approach to Pain Relief and Healing

Imagine waking up in the dead of night, gripped by excruciating back pain, fighting your own mind just to find an ounce of rest. The next morning, even the simple act of getting out of bed feels impossible because the pain is so overwhelming. Every day, you muster just enough strength to care for your loved ones, all while battling a relentless pain that consumes your mind and body.

For many, this is a daily reality—a battle not just against pain, but for quality of life. Approximately sixteen million adults experience this debilitating back pain on a daily basis. Whether you are recovering from a procedure or have a chronic condition, your mindset plays an important role in your pain management. In this episode of Get Back to Your Life™ podcast, we hear from spine surgeon Dr. Christopher Good and his patient Bina on the power of meditation and mindset in surgery recovery and pain relief.

Pain Relief Through Meditation

After having back surgery, patient Bina Freilich struggled with post-op pain and was looking for a solution to fight this pain. Bina says, “Your body and your mind are constantly trying to cope with the pain. And honestly, that’s all you think about twenty-four seven. Even when you sleep, you wake up because you’re hurting.” Being in plenty of groups and support pages, someone suggested that she try meditation to ease her pain. Although she was skeptical, she laid down on the couch and focused on breathing and affirmations. Much to her surprise, the practice of daily meditation caused her pain to completely go away.

The practice of mindfulness did not come easily to Bina. At first, her mind would frequently wander and it took a long time to calm down. Like with everything, practicing this method will lead to better results and mindfulness. She says that the meditation app Smiling Mind has been a fantastic tool and she still meditates every night, even when she doesn’t feel pain. Here are some suggestions she has for people who are fighting chronic pain and looking for a solution:

Just Try It

Bina explains, “The one thing I want to tell everyone is — just try it. You don’t lose anything by trying it and don’t give up if it doesn’t work right away because it can take time to learn and retrain your brain.” Even if meditation is not for you, be open to everything that could possibly help your pain and suffering. Don’t brush off small things because they seem insignificant until you’ve tried them. You only have something to gain from trying something new.

Talk to Your Doctor

Be open with your doctor about your journey and your experience with pain. Bina is glad she has been open with Dr. Good about the role of meditation in easing her post-op pain. Dr. Good is completely supportive of her meditation practice and encourages her and his other patients to continue. He also explains that mindfulness is something that he practices daily with his family.

Mindfulness From an MD

When Bina came to Dr. Good explaining her journey with meditation, Dr. Good encouraged her on her path to conquering pain. Dr. Good has experience with mindfulness as a whole and its effect on healing. In particular, there are plenty of studies and evidence that show mindset can affect how well someone does in surgery. He also explains that typically, surgeons are not taking the time to emphasize this mindfulness with their patients despite the proof.

Motivating the Mindset

When explaining how he motivates his patients into a positive mindset, Dr. Good puts time and effort into talking about mindfulness on his platform and uplifting patients like Bina who have seen great results. He also tries to set a good example to his patients through practicing mindfulness in his own health journey. He encourages his patients to try anything that could improve the chances that they will ultimately be happy and successful in their healing.

How to Practice Meditation

The mind is very powerful indeed and practicing meditation is challenging. Dr. Good explains that it is important to forgive yourself and to set goals for your meditation. Focusing on your goals is a good practice for when your mind wonders. Dr. Good has also seen plenty of personal results and support from breathing techniques. These breathing routines have helped improve his heart rate and clear his mind. Using the app Headspace, Dr. Good found that guided meditation with his family was extremely helpful in this practice.

Dr. Good’s parting advice is to set small goals in order to achieve large goals over time. Working toward small goals of improving yourself by just one percent is extremely attainable, both mentally and physically. Focus on the exercises that can help you control your pain fluctuations on a basic level. Your mind is indeed a powerful tool in your journey to fight pain and promote healing in your body.

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