Why Chronic Pain Needs a Holistic Approach (and What That Actually Looks Like)

If you're living with chronic pain, you've probably been told many things — rest more, move more, stretch this, strengthen that, “it’s all in your head,” or worse, “there’s nothing more we can do.”

It can feel confusing, frustrating, and at times deeply isolating.

As a physiotherapist, yoga teacher, and acupuncturist working with people navigating persistent pain, I’ve come to believe that chronic pain needs more than a one-size-fits-all solution. It needs a whole-person approach — one that’s gentle, evidence-based, and considers all aspects of your well-being.

So, what do I mean by a holistic approach?

Pain is complex. It is, of course, a physical experience—but it’s also shaped by many factors, including the nervous system, immune system, emotional health, past experiences, and even social factors like stress or support networks. A holistic approach doesn’t dismiss the physical—it acknowledges that lasting relief often requires more than just treating the body alone.

In my work, I integrate three key modalities:

✨ Physiotherapy: Supporting the Body with Science and Practical Tools

Pain Management Physiotherapy is about understanding your body and building confidence in movement in a way that feels safe and sustainable.

For chronic pain, this often means:

✔️ Gradual return back to physical activity — reintroducing movement step by step, in a way that’s guided by your nervous system and energy levels.
✔️ Pacing strategies to avoid the boom-and-bust cycle of overdoing and crashing.
✔️ Flare-up management—practical tools to help you navigate pain spikes.
✔️ Sleep hygiene—small, science-backed changes to improve rest and recovery.
✔️ Goal setting that feels realistic and empowering, rather than overwhelming.

This approach isn’t about "pushing through" pain. Instead, we work together to find what helps your body feel supported and resilient.

🧘 Yoga: Reconnecting to Yourself with Movement, Breath & Meditation

Yoga offers much more than stretching or flexibility. For those with persistent pain, it can be a powerful tool for nervous system regulation, helping to calm an overactive pain response.

Research shows that:
✔️ Breathwork (pranayama) can reduce pain sensitivity by shifting the nervous system from “fight-or-flight” to “rest-and-digest.”
✔️ Meditation helps rewire pain pathways in the brain, reducing pain intensity over time.
✔️ Gentle, mindful movement can improve mobility without triggering flare-ups, making movement feel safe again.

In my approach, yoga isn’t about doing more—it’s about finding ways to move, breathe, and rest that genuinely support you.

🌿 Acupuncture: Restoring Balance & Supporting Healing

Acupuncture works on multiple levels—it has both a biological and a traditional explanation.

From a Western medical perspective, research suggests acupuncture can:
✔️ Influence pain-modulating neurotransmitters, like endorphins and serotonin.
✔️ Improve blood flow, reducing inflammation and promoting tissue healing.
✔️ Calm an overactive nervous system, making it particularly useful for conditions with central sensitization (where the nervous system becomes more sensitive to pain).

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) view, acupuncture helps restore the body’s flow of Qi (energy), which can become blocked or stagnant in chronic pain conditions. By stimulating specific points, we aim to restore balance and encourage the body’s natural healing mechanisms.

This combination of modern and ancient wisdom is why acupuncture remains a recommended treatment in the NICE guidelines for conditions like fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Additionally, there is growing evidence supporting its benefits for musculoskeletal injuries, osteoarthritis, back pain, headaches, and even women's health conditions like endometriosis and menstrual pain.

Holistic doesn’t mean “alternative”—it means complete.

It means listening to your story. It means working with your body, not against it. It means acknowledging the emotional toll of pain and offering tools that support you on all levels—physical, mental, and emotional.

And most importantly, it means you’re not broken. Your body isn’t failing you. There is always hope, and there are always options.

Want to explore what a holistic approach to your pain could look like?

I offer 1:1 sessions combining physiotherapy, yoga, and acupuncture—tailored to your unique needs. Whether you're newly navigating persistent pain or have been living with it for years, there is always a way forward.

📩 Get in touch if you’d like to chat—I’d be honoured to support you.