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Low back pain

Relaxation techniques for chronic back pain

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How we perceive pain and how well we cope with it is influenced by many factors, including our mind. Stress and emotional distress can make pain worse too – for example, by making your muscles tense. Relaxation and stress management techniques can help here.

Most people will have low back pain at some point in their lives. There is usually no clear cause, and it typically goes away on its own after a few days or weeks. But this "non-specific" low back pain may also last longer or keep returning after symptom-free periods. This is known as chronic low back pain.

The main thing you can do about back pain is stay as active as possible and get enough movement in everyday life. Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation and autogenic training are often recommended in addition to targeted exercise therapy. In Germany, these techniques can be learned in a class – for instance, at an adult education center or in a prevention class (Präventionskurs) offered by public health insurers. It is also possible to learn the techniques with the help of an app, video or audio file.

There is hardly any scientific research on the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation and mindfulness-based interventions. So it’s not clear what people with back pain can expect from these approaches.

How does progressive muscle relaxation work?

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a widely used relaxation technique. It is sometimes called or deep muscle relaxation as well. This technique involves focusing on a specific group of muscles to start off with. The muscles are first actively relaxed, then tensed for a short while, and then fully relaxed again. These steps are repeated with other muscle groups until the entire body is relaxed.

The aim is to become more aware of your body and learn to consciously relax, both physically and mentally. A further goal is to reduce muscle tension that is caused by psychological stress. It is thought that relaxing in this way can help you cope better with stress.

What does mindfulness-based stress reduction involve?

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) aims to help people pay more attention to their thoughts, feelings and senses – without judging them or wanting to change them. This is meant to improve your self-awareness and allow you to experience events, activities or moments in a more intensive way and enjoy them more. It is also believed to help you recognize and distance yourself from negative thoughts and feelings.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction may involve various exercises, such as trying to become more aware of everyday things like the taste of your food, or the wind in your face when you go on walks. Or you may try to avoid reacting immediately to what others say or do, and instead take a step back from the situation first. The idea here is to stop automatically reacting to things in a certain way. Meditation and yoga exercises can be used in mindfulness too.

Paying more attention to your own thoughts and feelings like this can sometimes be unpleasant. For instance, by being more aware of feelings such as grief, anger or fear, those feelings may become stronger at first. For this reason, mindfulness training isn't suitable for people with certain mental illnesses. These include addiction problems, acute depression and psychosis.

Skelly AC, Chou R, Dettori JR et al. Noninvasive Nonpharmacological Treatment for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review Update. (AHRQ Comparative Effectiveness Reviews; No. 227). 2020.

World Health Organization (WHO). WHO guideline for non-surgical management of chronic primary low back pain in adults in primary and community care settings. In: WHO Guidelines Approved by the Guidelines Review Committee. Geneva: WHO; 2023.

IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health care services.

Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. informedhealth.org can provide support for talks with doctors and other medical professionals, but cannot replace them. We do not offer individual consultations.

Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a team of health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts. You can find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in our methods.

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Relaxation techniques for chronic back pain

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Updated on December 16, 2025

Next planned update: 2028

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Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG, Germany)

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