Nashville therapist finds relief from chronic back pain

Nashville, Tennessee, physical therapist Allyn Minton has been free from chronic back pain for one year. Minton, who owns Swell Studio in Nashville, said a shift in her mental approach to her body’s responses ended a cycle of debilitating discomfort that had persisted for years.

According to the National Library of Medicine, more than 30% of the global population experiences chronic pain. That figure represents approximately 2.4 billion people. Minton’s personal history with that condition began in her 20s when she injured her back while transferring a patient.

She initially managed the injury through daily core-strengthening exercises and physical therapy. However, the pain returned with predictable severity. Minton noted that the flare-ups occurred on the same date each year, often triggered by stress.

Minton cited specific life events, including her father’s cancer diagnosis and death, as periods when her back would go out. A doctor told her, “Allyn, you were here last year to the day.” This annual pattern continued until one year ago, when she decided to change her routine.

Minton began focusing on calming her nervous system and examining her thoughts. She used repeated affirmations to reframe her mental state. “As I started calming the nervous system and looking at those thoughts, slowly with the repetition of affirmations, it’s that repetition that’s key, my thoughts started to change. And my back pain disappeared,” she said.

A 2022 review published in the Harvard Gazette supports this approach, noting that adding psychological therapies to physical treatments can alter how the body perceives pain. Research on neuroplasticity indicates that the brain can rewire itself through repeated thoughts and behaviors, potentially alleviating chronic symptoms.

Minton practices this method for 20 minutes a day. She explained that when the body is tense and in a fight-or-flight response, the mind cannot fully relax. By addressing the mental component, she believes her nervous system has stabilized, allowing for sustained relief.