Therapist finds relief through daily affirmations

Allyn Minton, a licensed physical therapist based in Nashville, Tennessee, has been free from chronic back pain for one year. The milestone marks the end of a pattern where debilitating pain returned annually on the same date.

Minton opened Swell Studio after injuring her back while transferring a patient in her 20s. She managed the initial injury through physical therapy and daily core-strengthening exercises. However, the pain began to recur every year, often triggered by stress in her personal life.

The cycle continued until her father was diagnosed with cancer and subsequently passed away. During that period, Minton’s back pain flared up again. She visited a doctor who noted that she had presented with the same symptoms exactly one year prior to the current appointment. The predictable nature of the pain led her to seek a different approach.

Minton began focusing on the connection between her mind and body. She spent 20 minutes a day repeating affirmations to calm her nervous system. She attributes the disappearance of her pain to this repetition. “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,” Minton said.

Research supports the link between mental focus and physical pain perception. A 2022 review published in the Harvard Gazette found that adding psychological therapies to physical treatments can alter how the body experiences pain. Studies on neuroplasticity show that the brain can rewire itself through repeated thoughts and behaviors, which may help alleviate chronic symptoms.

Minton explains that a body stuck in a fight or flight response is not relaxed enough to accept change. “If the body is tense and in fight or flight, it doesn’t feel safe enough to let the mind relax and open and be receptive to change,” Minton said. Her routine now includes this mental practice alongside physical movement.

According to the National Library of Medicine, more than 30% of the world’s population suffers from chronic pain. That figure represents 2.4 billion people who may find potential relief through similar mind-body techniques. Minton’s experience highlights a simple method that combines established physical therapy with daily mental repetition.