BECOME A PAIN COACH
The Science of Pain Coaching
Millions live with chronic pain, yet few receive the support they truly need. Pain Coaching bridges the gap between medical care and real life, helping people move from pain to possibility.
Nearly 25% of people in the U.S. are living with chronic pain.
Chronic pain is one of the most common and costly health challenges in America. Nearly 25% of U.S. adults live with chronic pain - more than those living with diabetes (14.7%), heart disease (5.5%), or cancer (10.3) [CDC 2021] These numbers are staggering, but behind them are real people whose daily lives are disrupted by sleepless nights, limited mobility, strained relationships, and the emotional weight of living with pain.
For decades, traditional approaches, such as medications, injections, surgeries, or physical therapy, have offered help. But too often, they don’t address the whole picture. Pain isn’t only physical. It affects the body, the mind, and the social world around us.
That’s why experts describe it as a biopsychosocial condition [Gatchel et al., 2014]. And this is exactly where pain coaching becomes a missing link.
Learnings from July 2020 research study conducted by PLOS (a nonprofit 502 (c)(3) corporation, #C3254500, based in California, USA). PLOS is a non-profit organization on a mission to drive open science forward with measurable, meaningful change in research publishing, policy, and practice. See study here.
A New Way Forward…
What The Research Shows
A landmark 2020 study published in PLOS ONE examined more than 400 individuals who took part in a year-long health and wellness coaching program for chronic pain, and the results were remarkable. Participants experienced a substantial reduction in pain intensity and an even greater improvement in how pain affected their daily lives. Gains extended beyond physical relief, with notable boosts in mobility, vitality, and emotional well-being, demonstrating how positive change in one area can influence others. Despite the program’s focus on management rather than cure, participants reported high levels of satisfaction, highlighting the profound impact of skilled coaching on quality of life [Rethorn et al., 2020].
The message is clear: when people are supported to set goals, strengthen self-care, and make meaningful changes aligned with their values, their pain experience shifts in measurable and life-changing ways. What this means in everyday terms: The same study found that, on average, people’s pain levels dropped by about a point and a half over the course of the year.
The program wasn’t designed to “cure” pain. Instead, it helped people set goals, learn self-care skills, and live more fully in alignment with their values. Yet pain itself went down. Why? Because as people regained movement, managed daily activities more confidently, felt more energy, and experienced fewer negative emotions, their pain intensity decreased. In other words, pain coaching doesn’t just treat symptoms - it helps people reclaim their lives in ways that actually reduce pain itself.
People felt more energy, greater mobility, and less emotional weight from their pain. At the end of the program, satisfaction was almost perfect, with a median rating of 50 out of 50.
Rethorn, Z. D., Pettitt, R. W., Dykstra, E., & Pettitt, C. D. (2020). Health and wellness coaching positively impacts individuals with chronic pain and pain-related interference. PLOS ONE, 15(7), e0236734. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236734 | Institute of Medicine. (2011). Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. The National Academies Press. | Gatchel, R. J., McGeary, D. D., McGeary, C. A., & Lippe, B. (2014). Interdisciplinary chronic pain management: Past, present, and future. American Psychologist, 69(2), 119–130. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035514 | National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). (2019). What is Health and Wellness Coaching? Retrieved from http://www.nbhwc.org
Why Pain Coaching Matters
At its heart, pain coaching is about empowerment. Pain coaches are specially trained to:
Walk alongside clients as they navigate the ups and downs of persistent pain.
Provide accountability and encouragement for lifestyle changes that support healing
Address the whole person, not just symptoms, but mindset, lifestyle, relationships, and resilience.
Bridge the gap between medical treatment plans and real daily life.
Managing pain isn’t only about finding the right pill or procedure. It’s about restoring agency, purpose, and hope. Coaching offers people the tools and support they need to take back control of their lives — even when pain remains.
The Call to Action
As healthcare continues shifting toward holistic, patient-centered care, pain coaches are becoming essential members of care teams. The research is clear: health and wellness coaching is effective for managing chronic pain. The results are more potent than many traditional behavioral therapies and deserve recognition.
For those living with pain, having a coach in your corner can mean the difference between merely surviving and truly thriving.
This is why Pain Coach Academy exists - to train, support, and certify pain coaches who can bring this life-changing work to the people who need it most. Our mission is simple: to make pain coaching available everywhere, so no one has to walk this journey alone.
Because when people are equipped to take back their lives from pain, we aren’t just reducing symptoms. We are restoring hope, meaning, and possibility.
