Chasing Life: Should You ‘Lean Into’ Your Chronic Pain to Relieve It?

Released on July 18, 2025

Dr. Sanjay Gupta welcomes listeners to an insightful episode of Chasing Life, where he delves into the pervasive issue of chronic pain and explores innovative approaches to managing it. This episode features Dr. Eric Garland, a clinical therapist and psychiatry professor, who discusses his groundbreaking Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) program designed to alleviate chronic pain without the side effects of traditional medications.

1. The Prevalence and Impact of Chronic Pain

Dr. Gupta opens the discussion by highlighting alarming statistics about chronic pain in the United States:

Dr. Sanjay Gupta [00:00]: "20%. I came across this number when researching my new book on pain... 50 million people in the United States alone."

He emphasizes that chronic pain affects approximately 20% of U.S. adults, with 8% experiencing high-impact chronic pain that significantly impairs daily activities.

2. Introducing Dr. Eric Garland and the MORE Program

Dr. Gupta introduces Dr. Eric Garland, the developer of MORE, a mind-body therapy aimed at reducing chronic pain by teaching individuals to "lean into" their pain rather than avoid it.

3. Understanding the Dual Nature of Pain: Physical and Emotional

Dr. Garland elaborates on the intertwined relationship between physical pain and emotional anguish:

Eric Garland [03:51]: "It does seem to be an epidemic in this country and in this world... the emotional anguish right now that's really, I think, surfacing and magnifying the pain."

He explains that chronic pain is not solely a physical phenomenon but is significantly influenced by emotional distress.

4. The Brain’s Central Role in Pain Perception

Delving deeper, Dr. Garland discusses how all pain is generated in the brain, regardless of its physical origin:

Eric Garland [04:27]: "All pain is really in the brain... psychological factors like emotional distress and anguish can really amplify pain in the brain."

This perspective shifts the focus from merely treating the physical symptoms to addressing the brain's processing of pain.

5. Dr. Garland’s Personal Battle with Pain

Sharing his personal experience with chronic pain adds depth to Dr. Garland's expertise:

Eric Garland [07:09]: "I developed back pain in 2017... Couldn't sleep without wrapping an ice pack around my leg."

He recounts how mindfulness meditation significantly alleviated his pain, highlighting the effectiveness of mental training in pain management.

6. The MORE Program: Components and Mechanism

Dr. Garland breaks down the MORE program into three core components: Mindfulness, Reappraisal, and Savoring.

a. Mindfulness

Mindfulness involves bringing focused attention to the present moment, which can alter the brain's pain processing:

Eric Garland [16:09]: "Mindfulness skills are really useful in helping to alleviate pain because mindfulness changes the way the brain filters and processes pain signals from the body."

b. Reappraisal

Reappraisal helps reduce stress and negative emotions that can exacerbate pain:

Eric Garland [16:40]: "Reappraisal is used to reduce stress and negative emotions. ... by decreasing that negative emotional reaction, we can take the sting out of pain."

c. Savoring

Savoring enhances the brain's reward system, promoting natural pleasure and reducing reliance on opioids:

Eric Garland [17:40]: "Savoring teaches people how to increase natural, healthy pleasure, joy and meaning in life, and potentially also increase activation in the brain's reward system."

7. Effectiveness of the MORE Program

The efficacy of MORE is backed by extensive research:

Eric Garland [23:57]: "We have data showing that eight weeks of MORE can actually result in pain relief that lasts nine months later."

He notes that 50% of patients achieve a clinically significant reduction in pain, comparable to the effects of 5 milligrams of OxyContin, without the associated risks.

8. Accessibility and the Future of Pain Management

Despite its success, Dr. Garland acknowledges the challenges in widespread adoption:

Eric Garland [24:36]: "We need more providers trained in this evidence-based mindfulness oriented recovery enhancement approach."

He is actively working to train more clinicians to make MORE a standard part of pain management care.

9. A Message of Hope

Concluding the episode, Dr. Garland offers a hopeful message to those suffering from chronic pain:

Eric Garland [25:46]: "The message I want to give people is a message of hope. And this is a safe, immediate and non-addictive approach."

He encourages individuals to embrace mindfulness and the strategies taught in MORE to achieve lasting pain relief.

Key Takeaways

• Chronic pain affects a significant portion of the population and is often underestimated in its emotional impact.
• Pain perception is fundamentally a brain-generated experience, influenced by both physical and emotional factors.
• Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) offers a non-pharmacological approach to managing chronic pain by integrating mindfulness, reappraisal, and savoring techniques.
• Research supports the effectiveness of MORE in reducing pain and decreasing reliance on opioids.
• Accessibility remains a challenge, highlighting the need for more trained providers to implement such programs widely.
• The episode underscores the potential of mind-body therapies in transforming pain management and enhancing quality of life.

For those interested in exploring more evidence-based pain management strategies like MORE, consider pre-ordering Dr. Sanjay Gupta's upcoming book, "It Doesn't Have to Hurt: Your Smart Guide to a Pain-Free Life."