How Imagination Can Help Shift Chronic Pain
Dr. Valerie Brown supporting a client in imagery-based restorative yoga.
When you think about chronic pain, you probably think about inflammation, muscle tension, or maybe nerve irritation. But what if one of the most powerful tools for easing pain isn’t physical at all—what if it’s your imagination?
It might sound surprising, but your brain doesn’t fully distinguish between what’s real and what’s vividly imagined. That means your thoughts, mental images, and even daydreams can actually influence how your body feels—including how it experiences pain.
Chronic Pain Lives in the Nervous System
Chronic pain isn’t just about injury—it’s about how your nervous system has learned to perceive threat. Over time, your brain can get stuck in a loop of protecting you—even when the original cause of pain has healed.
This protective loop can cause:
Increased sensitivity to sensation (even touch or movement)
Muscle guarding or tension
Emotional stress, anxiety, or fear around certain movements
A feeling of being disconnected from your body
This is where imagination comes in.
Your Brain Responds to Imagined Movement
Studies have shown that imagining a movement lights up many of the same brain regions as actually doing it. So if a certain stretch, position, or action causes pain in your body, simply visualizing yourself doing it smoothly and pain-free can begin to rewire your brain’s protective patterning.
This is called motor imagery, and it’s been used successfully with:
Stroke recovery
Phantom limb pain
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
Musculoskeletal injuries
Chronic low back and neck pain
It helps the brain relearn what’s safe—without triggering the same level of physical threat.
Imagination Creates a Felt Sense of Safety
Visualization isn’t just about movement. You can also use imagination to create safe, calming inner experiences—like picturing yourself in a peaceful place, imagining warmth and comfort in a painful area, or mentally rehearsing a supportive interaction.
These mental exercises activate the parasympathetic nervous system (your rest-and-digest mode), reduce pain perception, and help build emotional resilience.
This Isn’t About "Thinking Your Way Out" of Pain
Let’s be clear: chronic pain is very real. Using imagination doesn’t mean the pain is “in your head”—it means your brain plays a powerful role in how pain is processed and perpetuated.
Working with the imagination is one way to gently interrupt the pain loop and give your nervous system new input. It’s not a magic fix, but when combined with trauma-informed movement, breathwork, and nervous system support, it becomes a potent part of healing.
Try This Simple Imagery Practice
Sit or lie comfortably.
Close your eyes and bring to mind a movement or activity that normally brings discomfort.
Now imagine doing that movement with ease, flow, and confidence.
Picture your muscles soft, your joints stable, your breath steady, floating on a serene lake.
Repeat for a few minutes, noticing how your body feels as you watch the image unfold.
If your nervous system starts to signal discomfort—even in your imagination—pause, breathe, and shift the scene to something safer. This work is all about building trust and safety.
Your Body Believes What Your Brain Rehearses
With chronic pain, healing isn’t just physical—it’s neurological, emotional, and even creative. Tapping into your imagination is a way of speaking the brain’s language, offering it new possibilities, and creating space for healing to emerge.
If you can imagine ease, your brain can begin to believe it. And that belief is the first step toward change.
“If you can imagine ease, your brain can begin to believe it. And that belief is the first step toward change.”
