Resilience for Better Mobility in Chronic Pain

Authors:  Tyler Phillips (Research Psychologist & Research and Content Consultant) and Dr Etienne van der Walt (Neurologist and CEO & founder of Neurozone^®)

We all know that moving our bodies is key to good health. Regular physical activity boosts our mood, strengthens our bodies against disease, and can even add years to our lives. But for people living with chronic pain, staying active is often easier said than done. When every step or stretch hurts, how do you keep going?

Researchers at the University of Portsmouth recently explored this question. They wanted to know what helps people with chronic pain (pain lasting more than three months) stay physically active despite their discomfort.

They studied 172 adults living with chronic pain and looked at five factors:

• Pain intensity – how bad the pain felt
• Pain duration – how long it had lasted
• Pain spread – how widespread it was in the body
• Fear of movement – how much people avoided activity to prevent flare-ups
• Pain resilience – to what degree they were able to stay positive and intentional about moving, even when it hurts

They found that pain resilience was the most important predictor of remaining physically active. In other words, to keep moving, it mattered less how large or small their fear of movement was, or how intense, long-lasting, and widespread their pain was. Rather, staying optimistic and proactive about movement was the key to their mobility.

Building Pain Resilience

So, how do you strengthen pain resilience? It often comes down to adaptive coping strategies—habits and mindsets that help you live well despite discomfort. Research shows that maintaining positive social connections, seeking support, and focusing on the long-term benefits of staying active can all make a difference. So can accepting that some pain may be outside your control, while still choosing to move within your limits.

Neurozone^® Findings

At Neurozone^®, we’ve found similar results in our own client research. When we looked at 166 people experiencing chronic mechanical pain, we discovered three key neurobehaviours that best predicted improvements in their levels of resilience:

• Optimism – believing challenges can be overcome
• Gratitude – appreciating what brings meaning and value to life
• Trust in Personal Life – being able to rely on friends and family for support

Interestingly, these overlap closely with what other researchers have found: building trust mirrors seeking social support, optimism helps you focus on long-term benefits, and gratitude lets you move with acceptance rather than resistance.

Taking the Next Step

If you live with chronic pain—or support someone who does—you don’t have to face it alone. The Personal Assessment in the Neurozone^® App can help identify which neurobehaviours will most strengthen your resilience, and guide you with evidence-based ways to build them.

And if you’re a coach working with clients managing chronic pain, the Neurozone^® High-Performance Course can help you train them to cultivate optimism, trust, and gratitude—essential tools for staying active and well.

Knowing how to stay resilient through life’s challenges – chronic pain and many others – keeps us moving. It keeps us healthy, well, and living long.