Chronic pain can be exhausting, but finding relief doesn’t always require drastic measures. At Pain Free For Life, we believe the most meaningful changes often come from simple, daily habits. That’s the foundation of the Hache Protocol™: a holistic, five-part approach built on microcurrent, nutrition, movement, healthy diet & hydration, and mindset.
By supporting each of these areas consistently, you help your body do what it’s naturally designed to do—heal. In the sections ahead, we’ll break down each pillar and share practical ways to make them part of your routine, using insights from Dr. Rob Vanbergen and the broader Pain Free For Life community.
1. Reduce Daily Stress to Help Your Body Heal
Chronic stress doesn’t just wear you out—it can make your pain feel worse. When your body is stuck in a constant state of fight-or-flight, stress hormones like cortisol stay elevated, increasing inflammation and amplifying pain signals. That’s why stress reduction isn’t just helpful—it’s essential if you’re living with chronic pain.
One of the simplest ways to start calming your system is through small, repeatable rituals that support your nervous system every day. These don’t have to be time-consuming, but they should be consistent.
Here are a few ways to ease stress and reduce pain naturally:
- Use microcurrent therapy to stimulate the vagus nerve and bring your body back into a parasympathetic (rest-and-repair) state. Even 10 minutes a day with a device like the Avazzia Life Genesis can help regulate cortisol and promote relaxation.
- Try a 5-minute mental reset: Sit somewhere quiet, close your eyes, and imagine your pain softening with each exhale. Visualization and breathwork are powerful tools to shift your nervous system out of high alert.
- Ease into your day slowly: Instead of rushing, take a few minutes in the morning to sip warm tea, stretch gently, or step outside for some natural light. These micro-moments of calm set the tone for how your body responds to stress.
As Dr. Rob often shares, stress management is a foundational piece of pain relief. When you learn to regulate your nervous system, pain often becomes easier to manage—and sometimes, even fades into the background.
For tips on empowering your body through breathwork, check out our podcast, Episode #39: Breathwork, Tapping and Healing Holistically, here.
2. Use Food as a Daily Anti-Inflammatory Tool
“You are what you eat” isn’t just a saying – it’s especially true when it comes to pain and inflammation. A nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory diet can dramatically improve how you feel day to day.
Here’s how to turn meals into medicine:
- Make one anti-inflammatory swap a day: Replace a sugary snack with berries or reach for herbal tea instead of soda.
- Batch-prep a pain-friendly breakfast: Something like overnight oats with chia seeds, cinnamon, and fruit gives you a consistent, healthy start to your day that won’t trigger pain.
- Add turmeric or ginger to everyday meals: Stir into soups, teas, or smoothies. Just ½ tsp can deliver noticeable benefits over time.
You eat every day, so let that become a healing habit. Certain foods can trigger inflammation (and pain), while others help soothe it. Daily nutrition rituals give your body what it needs to repair tissues, balance hormones, and regulate the immune system so that your body learns to work with you, not against you.
3. Gentle Movement to Help Relieve Pain
When you’re in pain, exercise might be the last thing you feel like doing – but gentle movement is actually one of the most powerful natural pain relievers. There’s a reason “move more” is a key part of the Hache Protocol: even a brief session of movement each day can drastically reduce your pain levels.
Try these three low-impact movement rituals:
- Take a 15-minute walk at your own pace: Whether it’s around your home, through the neighborhood, or at a nearby park, walking is a gentle way to improve circulation and reduce stiffness, without adding pressure to your joints. If walking isn’t accessible, try seated leg lifts or arm movements to get the blood flowing.
- Try a short yoga or stretching session: Choose 3–5 gentle poses, like child’s pose or cat-cow, and move through them slowly with your breath. This helps loosen tight muscles, calm your mind, and improve flexibility without overexertion.
- Incorporate water-based movement or tai chi once a week: Swimming, pool walking, or even a 10-minute tai chi video offers full-body benefits with minimal joint stress. These practices are especially helpful for those with arthritis, fibromyalgia, or frequent flare-ups.
Low-impact doesn’t mean low benefit. In fact, it’s often the most sustainable and healing path forward. The key is to choose something that feels good and stick with it regularly.
If you’re dealing with arthritis, check out this video for 3 gentle exercises to help you find relief!
4. Hydrate to Support Pain Relief from the Inside Out
Hydration is one of those simple things that makes a bigger difference than most people realize, especially when you’re living with chronic pain. Our bodies are around 60% water, and every cell, including the ones that help with pain signaling and healing, needs enough fluid to do its job. When you’re dehydrated, you might feel extra tired, get more headaches, deal with muscle cramps, or just notice your pain more.
Some of the symptoms we often chalk up to “just my condition”—like brain fog or that heavy, achy feeling—can actually get worse when we’re not drinking enough water. On the flip side, staying hydrated helps your body flush out toxins, reduces inflammation, and keeps your joints cushioned and moving smoothly. It’s one of the easiest ways to support your body’s natural ability to feel better.
Here are three simple ways to hydrate with intention:
- Begin your day with a full glass of water and a pinch of sea salt to rehydrate after sleep and support electrolyte balance—an important factor in nerve and muscle function.
- Sip regularly instead of chugging sporadically. Keep a water bottle nearby and consider setting hourly reminders if you tend to forget.
- Boost hydration with natural electrolytes: Try coconut water or a homemade mix of filtered water, citrus juice, and a dash of sea salt—especially helpful after physical activity or during flare-ups.
Incorporating hydration into your daily routine is one of the easiest yet most impactful changes you can make. It can be as straightforward as “drink a glass of water every hour” or “have a herbal tea after lunch and dinner.” If plain water bores you, infuse it with fruits like berries or lemon, or cucumber slices and mint – get creative so you enjoy it!
5. Shift Your Mindset Toward Hope and Healing
The final pillar, mindset, ties everything together. A positive, resilient mindset is often the secret sauce in transforming a life of pain into a life of possibility. This isn’t about “positive thinking” in a superficial way – it’s about genuinely empowering yourself with the belief that you can improve and taking consistent action toward that goal.
Make mindset part of your daily ritual with:
- Set an intention each morning: Something within your control, like “I will drink 3 full bottles of water today” or “I’ll stretch before bed.”
- Celebrate what your body can do: Whether that’s walking up the stairs, prepping a healthy lunch, or just getting out of bed—acknowledge it.
- Practice one reframe a day: If you catch yourself thinking “I’m stuck like this,” try “My body is learning how to heal, one day at a time.”
Above all, nurturing a healing mindset means treating yourself with compassion. Celebrate the small victories – did you do your exercises today? Great! Give yourself credit. Remember, a pain free life is built one day at a time.
Start Small, Stay Consistent, and Watch What Shifts
These rituals aren’t about adding more pressure to your plate. They’re about creating a supportive rhythm that your body can trust. You don’t have to master all five elements of the Hache Protocol™ right away. Choose one pillar to start with this week. Maybe that’s drinking more water, journaling each morning, or doing a gentle microcurrent therapy session before bed. Each small step contributes to less pain, more strength, and a stronger sense of control, day by day.
Pain Free For Life offers practical tools, expert guidance, and a community that truly gets it. From blog posts and podcasts to microcurrent devices like the Avazzia Life Genesis II, everything is designed to help you feel your best, step by step.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. With the right habits and support, less pain is within reach, starting with the rituals you practice today.
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