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Holistic Chronic Pain Management: A Whole-Person Approach That Works

  • Writer: Barbara Belicia
    Barbara Belicia
  • Jul 9
  • 11 min read

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Chronic pain is typically defined as pain that lasts longer than three (3) months. It might come and go unpredictably or remain constant. And while it can affect anyone, it becomes more common with age.


Pain itself works like an alarm system. It is really just a network of nerves alerting the brain of an external injury or harmful changes in the body, like a burn, a broken bone, cancer or even indigestion.


But what happens when the alarm keeps ringing long after an injury has healed? Or shows up alongside chronic health conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia? Or when there’s no clear cause at all?


That’s chronic pain.


For many people, it’s not just a physical issue. It slowly wears down their energy, independence, mental health, and relationships. It disrupts their sleep, clouds focus, and makes daily activities like cooking, dressing, or walking feel overwhelming.


One chronic pain sufferer described it like this: “I can’t even sit in a chair and it feels like someone is stabbing me in the back and simultaneously pouring gas on it, every single second. On a good day.”


Another shared, “I wake up crying because sleeping is so painful. I never feel rested. I’m perpetually exhausted.” And one person captured the emotional weight in one heartwrenching sentence: “I'm in so much pain that life isn't even worth living. I'm trying to find something to help me.”


These aren’t dramatic exaggerations. If you've been living with pain that doesn’t seem to go away, then you’re among the many who share this lived reality. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that an estimated 50 million adults (about 1 in 5) live with chronic pain. In 2021, nearly 20 million people were said to experience chronic pain that interferes with their daily activities.


That’s not a statistic. It’s millions of people just like you struggling to get out of bed, play with their grandkids, or enjoy a simple walk without discomfort.


When pain becomes invisible, hard to describe, or misunderstood, it often goes untreated or treated in ways that don’t truly help. That’s why chronic pain requires a thoughtful, holistic approach; one that considers your entire life, not just a symptom score.


In this article, we’ll explore what holistic chronic pain management looks like, and why starting with an occupational therapist at WPT can help uncover the root of your pain, guide you to the right care, and get you back to living fully.


Understanding Chronic Pain

Chronic pain looks different for everyone. It takes many forms and has an almost endless list of causes. For some people, it shows up as an aching, burning, or squeezing sensation. For others, it’s throbbing, stinging, or constant stiffness. It may feel sharp and flare up with movement or dull, deep, and persistent throughout the day. Sometimes, pain is localized (that is, in one spot). Other times, it radiates, meaning that it starts in one area of the body and travels to another.


If you’re over 50, you may already be living with one or more common causes of chronic pain in your age group, such as:


  • Arthritis or osteoarthritis, especially in the low back, neck, fingers or toes.

  • Osteoporotic fractures, especially in the hip or knee.

  • Lower back pain from spinal degeneration or disc injury.

  • Nerve pain linked to diabetes or postherpetic neuralgia (a complication of shingles).

  • Fibromyalgia, post-stroke pain, or migraines.

  • Cancer-related pain.


Managing these kinds of pain often means juggling multiple medications, including opioids (morphine, tramadol), nerve meds (pregabalin, gabapentin), antidepressants like Cymbalta, and alternatives like THC, CBD, marijuana, or kratom. In fact, meds are usually the first and sometimes only solution offered by doctors.


But even with a long list of prescriptions, lasting relief is rare. A chronic pain sufferer wrote, “I hate short-acting meds because I was only lucky to get 2 hours of pain relief, and you build a tolerance really fast.”


When relief is brief and side effects pile on, the routine can become exhausting. Over time, it’s not just the pain you’re managing; it’s the medications themselves, the drug tolerance, the constant dosage adjustments, and the frustration of running out of options. Another person explained this situation simply: “Nothing works. Every pill sucks and I hate the way drugs make my head feel.”


It gets worse when access to stronger medication becomes difficult due to age, addiction risks, and stigma. One person shared her experience: “I have fibromyalgia, DJD, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. I'm almost 50 years old. The fact that I cannot get a damn prescription for an opiate to treat severe, constant pain is cruel.”


When you’ve tried everything and the question becomes “What is the best cure for chronic pain?” or even “Will chronic pain ever be cured?”, it’s often because nothing seems to be working. The truth is, there’s no specific cure. But that doesn’t mean there’s no way forward


Sometimes, what makes the difference isn’t stronger medication but a better understanding of how your pain shows up, what’s feeding it, and how to live around it without letting it take everything from you. That’s where holistic chronic pain management comes in.


What Is a Holistic Approach to Chronic Pain?

Just like pain looks different for everyone, pain relief isn’t one-size-fits-all. Even with the same diagnosis and exact same prescriptions, two people can experience pain and respond to treatments in completely different ways. That’s what makes holistic chronic pain management so important. It is a comprehensive, person-first approach to managing pain that goes beyond medication.


As we’ve already seen, chronic pain doesn’t just affect your body. It can change how you think, feel, sleep, and move through your day. But it also works the other way around. Your stress levels, core beliefs, emotions, mental health, lifestyle habits, and even your relationships can all influence how you experience pain. It’s a two-way street


Holistic care recognizes that pain is only one part of your life, even if it takes up a lot of space. It doesn’t ignore the pain. It simply makes you the sole focus of the treatment. Your body, mind and spirit.


Instead of treating just the symptom, it works to improve your overall wellbeing and quality of life with practices like movement, nutrition, body work (like massage or acupuncture), and more. In practice, that means:


  • Care that’s tailored to your body, needs, and lifestyle

  • A greater sense of control over your chronic pain journey

  • Less reliance on medication

  • Fewer frustrating side effects

  • Support for your mental and emotional health

  • Better long-term results that don’t disappear overnight


And unlike traditional care where you are prescribed pills and sent home, you're not left wondering what to do next. You’re guided, educated, and supported to make the kind of changes that matter. The kind that’ll help you feel like yourself again.


Here are some common holistic care strategies (also known as alternative medical therapies) used today:

  • Rehabilitative care, mainly occupational therapy and physical therapy

  • Nutrient Intake

  • Massage therapy

  • Sauna (heat) therapy or cryotherapy (cold)

  • Music therapy

  • Biofeedback therapy

  • Acupuncture

  • Chiropractic care

  • Osteopathic manipulation treatment (OMT) and spinal manipulation therapy (SMT)

  • Lifestyle modifications, including nutrition, daily movement, and sleep

  • Mind-body practices, such as meditation, tai chi, yoga, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)


These are all evidence-based alternative pain management therapies with a wealth of scientific and anecdotal evidence supporting their efficacy and safety in reducing chronic pain, restoring function, and improving overall wellbeing.


A 2022 review of 15 controlled trials found that therapies like massage, acupuncture, spinal manipulation, yoga, and physical therapy reduced pain by up to 50 percent, improved mobility, and boosted quality of life without the adverse side effects associated with the use of pain medications.


Now, if you’re thinking, “What’s the best alternative therapy for pain management?” so you can cherry-pick from the list and jump in with high expectations, we’ll have you know that the most effective approach usually combines multiple strategies, tailored to your body, lifestyle, and goals.


So where do you begin? That starting point will look different for everyone but for many people, it begins with someone who can see the full picture.


Let’s talk about why starting with an occupational therapist might be the most valuable first step in your unique pain journey.


Why Starting with an Occupational Therapist Matters

When chronic pain is only getting worse and people are desperate for answers, they often turn to their primary care doctor or sometimes even the surgeon who treated the initial injury. And while these professionals are quite essential, their approach to chronic pain is usually limited to diagnosis and prescriptions.


Most rely on a simple numeric pain scale from 0 to 10 to understand what you’re feeling, where:

  • 0 means no pain

  • 1–3 is mild

  • 4–6 is moderate and may interfere with daily activities

  • 7–10 is “get me to the ER” kind of pain


The problem is the pain scale only tells part of the story. You’re expected to sum up your entire experience of pain in a single number. But when you’ve lived with pain for years, it changes your sense of what’s “normal.” It becomes harder to measure and even harder to explain.


One chronic pain sufferer wrote: “When talking to my doctors, they are quick to bring up the question of "how much pain are you in on a daily basis?" and as I've been asked this more and more only to be dismissed, I'm starting to question what pain actually is.”


According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Medscape, it is normal for chronic pain patients, especially older adults, to under-report or under-describe their pain for a number of reasons including:


  • A reluctance to “complain”

  • Difficulty finding the right words

  • Age-related cognitive impairments

  • Pain complaints being overshadowed by other symptoms or medical conditions

  • Describing pain as soreness or discomfort instead of naming it directly

  • A strong perception that pain is normal or expected in aging


The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) also adds that mood and emotions can influence how patients experience or report pain. A patient when asked to describe their pain might do so by reporting when they experienced anger, guilt, hopelessness, or grief because of their pain. This description is completely valid but might not be much to help a primary care doctor accurately measure their patients’ experience.


This is where occupational therapists (OTs) make all the difference. Instead of only looking at number ratings, they see pain in terms of what it takes away and through the lens of function, independence, and joy.


An occupational therapist (OT) is a licensed health professional who helps people build or regain the skills they need to do everyday tasks like cooking, bathing, working, short walks, or moving around the house despite their pain, age, disability, illness, or injury.


OTs are trained to start with your life as it is: Your desire to complete or participate in any activity you enjoy, your routines at home, work, or leisure, and the things that give your day meaning. They don’t just ask what hurts. They ask what matters. They’re trained to ask:


  • What occupations (think: activities) define who you are?

  • What have you stopped doing because of the pain?

  • What routines are breaking down?

  • How is pain affecting your sleep, focus, ability to cook, move, or care for yourself?


An OT doesn’t just hear “back pain”. They see a person who can’t bend to tie their shoes, walk the dog, or sit through a movie. They are trained to understand the gravity of not being able to brush your teeth or make pancakes for your family in the morning. They understand the emotional toll: the frustration, the fear of flare-ups, the slow erosion of independence, and the loneliness that comes from avoiding social outings.


So, why does it REALLY matter to start with an occupational therapist?


Because they focus on helping you function better, not just feel better. They look beyond the pain to understand how it’s affecting your routines, mobility, and independence. From there, they help you make real-life adjustments that bring relief and improve your quality of life. And when you need more support like physical therapy, a medical provider’s input, or mental health care, they can guide you there too.


How WPT Supports Your Chronic Pain Journey

Just like you have a primary care doctor, you can also have a primary care therapy service. One that knows your medical history, needs and goals and coordinates with every alternative therapy expert you’ll ever need. That’s us: WholePerson Therapeutics (WPT).


Our team is led by national board-certified occupational therapist Barbara Belicia, MOT, OTR/L, with proven experience providing care for the most physically limited individuals experiencing pain and discomfort at VA hospitals for physical rehabilitation, private hospitals for mental health, and facilities such as, assisted living and skilled nursing. She combined her skills and training to privately provide best care for individuals living in the local community at WPT.


We use a collaborative, person-first model. That means:


  • You’re seen as a whole person, not just a set of symptoms or a diagnosis.

  • Your therapy is built around your goals, whether that’s walking pain-free, playing with your grandkids, or sleeping through the night.

  • We begin with a full OT assessment that looks beyond pain to your routines, environment, habits, and stressors.


This holistic understanding ensures that before you ever adopt treatments like massage, acupuncture, or physical therapy, we know why it matters for you. What’s even better is that we readily refer you to the appropriate expert and collaborate with them to help you reach your goals.


Real Stories. Real Relief.

At WPT, we don’t just talk about personalized care; we live it. Here are just a few examples of how our whole-person approach has helped many clients move beyond pain and back into their lives:


Joan wanted to drive again.

At 78, Joan depended on family and friends to take her shopping and to social events. She didn’t like feeling like a burden, but her back pain was so bad that she couldn’t drive. When we assessed her, we found her muscles were so tight they were pressing on her nerves, causing pain and stiffness. After just 30 days of the right therapy, Joan could drive again. She even started taking short walks and doing her shopping on her own. She felt proud and excited to have her independence back.


Ella just wanted to pour her coffee.

Ella, 80, loves doing art projects at her senior center and starting her mornings with coffee. But she had a hard time pouring her coffee and washing her hair because of shoulder pain. The pain started many years after her shoulder surgery. When we checked her, we found that scar tissue had built up around her shoulder, making it stiff and painful. With the right therapy, Ella was able to reach behind her head again—something she hadn’t done in years. She smiled and said it felt so good to “pour coffee like a normal person.”


Connor thought it was his knee.

Connor, 49, had pain just below his kneecap and assumed it was a joint issue. But during his first visit, we traced the problem to his calf muscles. One session later, the pain was gone and when we followed up days later, it still hadn’t returned.


There’s also Penny (81), who could barely hold her phone because of nerve-related tremors. And Justina (45), a nurse assistant with lingering hand pain that turned out to be a pinched nerve in her neck. In both cases, the right support changed everything.


These are just a few of the lives we’ve been honored to change with holistic occupational therapy. If you're wondering whether there's hope for your pain, there is. Let’s find your path forward.


Email us at: Barbara@wptcares.com

Call us: (203) 636-0065

Or visit us at 101 Elizabeth Street, Suite 1H, Derby, CT 06418.




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