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Treat Your Pain at VA

Learn about 3 ways to relieve your pain

Got aches? You’re not alone. In fact, chronic pain is more common in Veterans than in the general population. Over the years, VA has found new ways to help with the pain. Below, we have 3 different treatments VA offers to help relieve your pain.

Try cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain (CBT-CP) is available to Veterans throughout the VA health care system. This treatment is known to be useful for managing chronic pain in Veterans. Veteran James Paton said, “I highly recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for any Veteran experiencing pain. You can change your perspective with relationships and then with your own perception of who you are while dealing with chronic pain.”

Can't see this video? Watch Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain on YouTube

Learn acupressure self-care over video 

Many Veterans use acupuncture and acupressure to support their relief. These and other integrative treatments are available through VA Video Connect. VA providers will show you self-care through acupressure, exercise, coaching, and other well-being approaches. One Veteran said, “Doing acupressure decreased my pain overall, and I feel a lot better. It makes you feel better and happier because you’re not in pain. So, your mood is different.”

Watch this video to learn an acupressure self-care routine for low back pain:

Can't see this video? Watch Acupressure Self-Care for Low Back Pain on YouTube

Or try these videos:

Watch Acupressure Self Care for Neck Pain on YouTube

Watch Acupressure Self-Care for Headaches on YouTube

Treat pain with VA’s Whole Health

Whole Health combines standard medicine and integrative health with personalized planning, self-care approaches, and more. Veteran TaTanisha Randell said, “I was doing a lot of yoga and meditation, and Whole Health was integral in dealing with the aches and pains, which helped me lose weight and feel healthier overall.”

Manage your health care with the new My HealtheVet Experience

Not all treatments are available at every VA facility. Send your health care team a secure message to discuss your options.

The new My HealtheVet experience on VA.gov allows you to manage your health care needs in the same place that you manage your other VA benefits and services. You can manage appointments, refill prescriptions, find your medical records, and more. You can also send a secure message to your health care team, all in one place. 

Manage your health care with My HealtheVet on VA.gov


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Poll - 3 Ways to Treat Your Pain (April 2025)