Lifestyle approaches

An important part of treating pain is managing your overall health. Taking care of yourself — by getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, reducing stress and practicing relaxation — can help you take care of pain.

Other nonpharmaceutical pain-relieving practices that can be worked into your life include:

• Massage. Massage — the kneading, stroking and manipulation of your body's soft tissues — can help relieve muscle tension and stress. Research suggests that massage is most useful for relieving pain in the short term; only minimal research supports its long-term effects. One study found that acupressure — specialized massage that mimics acupuncture, but without the needles — might provide more relief than traditional massage.
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Resembling a portable MP3 player attached to wired electrodes, a TENS device helps relieve pain by delivering low-level, pulsed electrical currents that pass through the skin to the area of pain. These currents stimulate your peripheral nerves to induce pain relief. Research suggests that TENS works best for mild pain, but not all who use it benefit.

There are many other complementary and integrative approaches to pain management that you can work into your lifestyle. These include acupuncture, herbal treatments, meditation, music therapy, hypnosis and others. Explore what helps you feel better — and when you find something that works, stick with it.