Many people experience chronic musculoskeletal pain, which can be more difficult to manage than acute pain. Examples of this type of pain include back, neck, hip, knee, and other joint discomfort. However, there are successful therapeutic modalities, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps you reframe your perception of pain and create coping mechanisms. However, CBT is underutilized, maybe as a result of obstacles like time restraints or trouble locating a practitioner.
A mostly self-directed version of CBT may provide an answer, according to a study that was published in the August 4, 2026, issue of JAMA. Self-managed CBT outperformed regular CBT with a therapist in the trial.
764 veterans with chronic musculoskeletal pain of at least moderate intensity from nine Veterans Administration health systems were included in the study. They were divided into two groups at random. A clinician administered the standard CBT for chronic pain to one group, which consisted of four to eleven weekly in-person, video, or phone sessions. For eleven weeks, the second group participated in a self-directed CBT program. Participants received weekly individualized feedback from a coach and taught self-practiced pain management techniques.
After four months, the researchers assessed how much the patients’ everyday activities, mood, and quality of life were impacted by their pain. For up to a year, those who used the self-directed strategy showed a marginally greater improvement in the degree to which pain interfered with their everyday activities. Additionally, compared to patients getting standard clinician-delivered CBT, they finished more planned therapy sessions.
You can learn CBT strategies from books and online programs to recognize and alter negative thoughts and actions in order to alleviate chronic pain. Additionally, you can perform CBT on your own after learning these methods from a qualified expert.