Sanjay Gupta (born October 23, 1969) is an American neurosurgeon, medical reporter, and writer. He serves as an associate chief of the neurosurgery service at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine, a member of the National Academy of Medicine,[1] a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,[2] and the chief medical correspondent for CNN.
His 2025 book, “It Doesn’t Have to Hurt: Your Smart Guide to a Pain-Free Life”, gathers the latest developments in pain science, based on his own experience with patients and conversations with researchers and doctors. Embedded in that is the basic of behavioral pain management strategies often used in addition to surgical and pharmacological pain interventions to provide maximum pain relief in a comprehensive way. The full article can be read at NPR.org, and below is an outline of his behavioral pain management tips.
Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE): A specific protocol that emphasizes mindfulness, reappraisal, and savoring. Clinical evidence suggests it can reduce opioid misuse and chronic pain symptoms by “rewiring” the brain’s reward system.
The “MEAT” Protocol for Acute Injury: A shift away from the traditional RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) method for injuries like ankle sprains. MEAT stands for:
- Movement
- Exercise
- Analgesia (using pain medication if necessary, while avoiding excessive anti-inflammatories early on)
- Treatment (professional mobilization)
Active Gratitude and Savoring: Techniques to activate the body’s endogenous opioid system. This involves “active gratitude”—not just acknowledging a positive event, but deeply savoring the sensory details of an experience (like a sunset or food) to trigger the release of internal endorphins.
Psychoeducation as Therapy: The concept that simply learning about the neuroscience of pain—how the brain interprets and sometimes “creates” signals—can actually reduce the intensity of chronic pain for many patients.
Mindfulness and Distraction: Utilizing meditation and breathing exercises to move the brain out of a state of “hyper-focus” on a particular painful sensation.
Visual and Cognitive Imagery: Practitioners suggest “leaning away” from pain by focusing on pleasant scenes (e.g., flowers, time with family) to lower pain scores during periods of acute distress.