In a recent blog, the Buddhist physician Alex Lickerman suggests 3 ways for managing chronic pain:

1. Holding (my reference to D.W. Winnicott): the one staying with the other, committing himself to the face-to-face.
2. Distracting: the self learning spiritual exercises for turning away from pain’s aversiveness?
3. Meditating: the focused attention on thoughts rather than on affects.