Patient was instructed upon practicing positive imagery technique for pain management as follows:
- Select a comfortable place, as you need some isolation, so as to practice the technique of associating your mind with a relaxing scenic environment and pain free past.
- Make yourself comfortable by either sitting down or lying flat.
- Start doing slow and deep breathing and focus on the rise of chest and abdomen during the inspiratory phase of the breathing.
- Hold the breath for 3 seconds at the end of inspiration.
- Perform slow and prolonged expiration and focus on the fall of chest and abdomen during the expiratory phase of the breathing.
- Continue to practice slow and deep breathing, while practicing the technique of positive imagery.
- Close your eyes and train the mind to transport yourself into a relaxed environment and into a time frame in the past, when you were pain free.
- Imagine sitting on a beach or imagine yourself having a warm massage. You can as well recall your trip to some pleasant country side or any mountainous region or a forest area. Focus on some detail in the surroundings of your relaxed environment.
- Pay attention to the components of your relaxed environment, such as, the warmth of the waves hitting your feet on the beach, the feel of bright sun on the skin, the sound of the tides hitting the shore, the smell of the green grass around in the country side, the sound of the birds chirping, the sound of the wind in the hilly area, the feel of cold wind hitting the skin, and the earthy scent of the first rain drops hitting the ground.
- This mindful association with a relaxing scenic environment and a pain free past contributes to experiencing relief with pain and discomfort, thus helping with pain management.
- Since mindful association of pain with the relaxing scenic environment and pain free past could be difficult when the pain level is high, start practicing the technique of positive imagery when the pain level is manageable and gradually move on to practicing it with high pain levels, as you gain more control on practicing the technique.
