The Pain-Relief Technique You Can Do With Your Eyes Closed
This week’s Better You, Backed by Science is about reducing pain – using nothing but your mind.
In a fascinating brand new study, people with painful knee arthritis got just as much relief from visualising treatment as from actually receiving it – and the “real” treatment involved ultrasound, TENS, hot packs, and exercise. The key was how they visualised.
How is that possible?
It comes down to the tight link between mind and body – and the fact that your brain doesn’t always distinguish between real and imagined experiences.
The body–mind link in action
For example,
-Think of an embarrassing moment – your face flushes.
-Picture biting into a lemon – you salivate.
-Imagine a sexual fantasy – well… your body responds.
These are all examples of your mind producing real physical changes in your body. In many cases, imagining something triggers much of the same physiological activity as the real thing.
The study
Researchers at Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University in Turkey recruited 48 people with osteoarthritis and split them into two groups:
- Treatment group – received actual physiotherapy (ultrasound, TENS, hot packs, and knee exercises)
- Visualisation group – imagined receiving the same treatments in rich sensory detail
The visualisation sessions were guided, matching the timing and sequence of the real sessions – 45 minutes, five times per week, for two weeks.
What they visualised:
- Ultrasound: feeling gel applied, imagining circular motions of the probe, sensing warmth and deep penetration of the waves
- TENS: picturing electrodes being placed, feeling tingling sensations, recalling the device’s pulse and frequency
- Hot pack: imagining heat spreading through the knee
- Knee exercises: picturing extensions and contractions in sets, complete with rest intervals
The results
Both groups had a substantial drop in pain – and the gains were equally large.
Why?
Brain imaging studies show that doing a movement and imagining it activate the same neural circuits.
Placebo research has also shown that when we expect pain relief, the brain produces its own natural painkillers. Visualisation works in a similar way: when you repeatedly imagine a treatment, your brain responds as if it’s really happening.
What this means for you
This doesn’t mean you should replace medical advice with mental imagery – but you can absolutely use it alongside whatever else you’re doing.
If you can only afford one physiotherapy session a week, for example, you could “top up” daily with mental practice. And it’s completely free.
Try this
- Visualise your treatment – Whether it’s physio, massage, or acupuncture, picture it in as much sensory detail as possible. Include touch, temperature, sound, and any sensations you’d normally feel. Aim for at least 20 minutes. Recording a self-guided audio can make this easier.
- Healing shower – In the shower, imagine the water is a warm, glowing healing energy. Feel it soak into your skin and focus it where you have any aches or tension.
- Pain dial – If you are experiencing pain, try this as well. Visualise a control dial in your mind labelled “Pain.” Imagine slowly turning it down, watching the number drop, and feeling the discomfort fade with each click.
Want to go deeper?
🎥 Watch my YouTube video where I break down the study and share tips for building your own visualisation practice.
References
- The visualisation study
- My books: How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body and Why Woo-Woo Works for more on the science and techniques of mind-body healing.
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