Chronic pain is a real beast. It can come from many sources, including chronic inflammation and injury. If you have chronic pain, then it's important to know how to manage it so that it doesn't take over your life. The pain just doesn't stop no matter what you do and there doesn't seem to be any relief in sight. This article will provide some key tips on how chronic pain sufferers can manage, reduce, and eventually eliminate chronic pain from their lives.
Living with chronic pain can be emotionally and physically exhausting. On many days it can be hard to imagine being able to get out of bed, let alone being productive at your job.
Living with chronic pain can be emotionally and physically exhausting. On many days it can be hard to imagine being able to get out of bed, let alone being productive at your job.
Those that deal with the daily discomfort of chronic pain know that managing your life can be a huge challenge. With over 20 million people across the country from Seattle to Manhattan, dealing with chronic pain has become one of the largest medical issues in recent history.
When you are a slave to your pain, being able to focus on any task can seem nearly impossible.
Each person has their own story, injury or illness and pain tolerance level to deal with. The trick is to know what works best for you. What relieves your discomfort is not going to be the same as what helps your neighbor. So, finding a solution that allows you to function at your best is an individual process.
You can talk to the pain specialists like Seattle Pain Relief about different ways to manage your pain along with following some of these tips to find what works for you. Dealing with chronic pain is about survival for many people. To make your days and nights a bit easier you can try some of these solutions to help you find some relief.
Get Motivated To Kick Pain's Ass
Being in constant pain can be emotionally exhausting and many people find themselves fighting depression. It’s important to stay motivated and as upbeat as possible. You can try listening or reading motivational materials to give you the boost that you need to help you brace for your day.
It is so important to stay positive and motivated when chronic pain is a part of your life. It doesn’t matter if your chronic pain comes from an injury or illness, it will be defeating no matter the source.
Work with Your Doctor To Develop A Pain Management Plan
There are chronic pain specialists that can help you find the right treatment plan for your condition. Your doctor may prescribe pain medications, physical therapy or other treatments to lessen and manage chronic pain.
A Pain Management Plan Created With Your Doctor Can Help By:
Sometimes simply having a plan can help make things better. This pain management plan might not be able to eliminate your chronic back pain or other forms of suffering but it can help create a pathway towards managing the pain.
This pain management program should include a combination of medical resources such as what drugs to use and when, lifestyle choices that can help you avoid situations that might make your chronic pain worse, and diet as well as exercise options that can reduce inflammation and potentially reduce or eliminate some of the chronic pain entirely.
While physical therapy can help reduce chronic pain and improve your range of motion and pain medication can help you manage chronic pain.
Having a chronic pain management plan will make it easier to live with chronic pain. You'll be able to focus on other aspects of your life knowing that the chronic pain is being managed by a professional.
Stay Active
The old adage “motion is lotion” rings true when dealing with chronic illness and chronic pain in particular. Staying active helps keep inflammation down and even prevents further injury from happening. Find what works best for you like swimming, walking, yoga, biking or any other activity that feels good on your body. You don't have to go too far either; just getting out of bed will do wonders! For many people it's about finding something that brings them some joy so they aren't always thinking about how bad they feel.
One study found that people who do regular aerobic exercise with low-to-moderate intensity twice weekly were able to manage their chronic pain better than those without any form of exercise at all . Regular physical activity can have a huge impact on chronic pain management because it provides many benefits including: making you feel less stressed by releasing endorphins; increasing blood flow which leads to improved joint function; reducing inflammation in joints caused by arthritis or other conditions related to chronic pain; and strengthening muscles
Many office jobs require you to sit in the same position for many hours, which can be a nightmare for anyone dealing with chronic pain. Keeping your joints and muscles active during the day can help you to fight off the worst of your pain. Take breaks often and adopt a regular stretching routine to help give yourself a break and some relief.
Working with your doctor or other pain management specialist can help you identify low-impact exercises and stretches that will both help keep you in good physical shape as well as helping to eliminate ... or at least manage your levels of chronic pain.
Keep a Pain Diary To Help Identify And Isolate What Causes As Well As Reduces Pain In Your Daily Life
Keeping a chronic pain diary can help you identify and isolate what causes pain in your daily life. Keeping track of when the chronic pain starts, how long it lasts, where on your body it’s located as well as if there are any particular activities or events that may have triggered the chronic pain will go a long way towards helping manage chronic conditions like arthritis or back injuries.
You might find that certain foods trigger flare-ups of chronic pain so keeping tabs about what you eat during an episode and then avoiding those triggers for a few days to see if they're causing more issues is helpful. You could also take note of things like whether or not activity preceded chronic pain episodes at all which would be something easy to avoid with this information!
Consider Alternative Treatments Including Non-Western Medicine
Those that have chronic pain often need a variety of treatments to reduce their discomfort and find relief. You can talk with chronic pain experts like Seattle Pain Relief about different ways to manage your chronic pain, including alternative therapies or more traditional methods like physical therapy. There are many options for you so don't be afraid to explore them!
In Western medicine, our doctors tend to look at fixing symptoms, prescribing medicines, and physically repairing broken bones, muscles, and other tissues.
The Chinese attitude towards chronic pain on the other hand, is more holistic, looking at the entire body and spirit as one entity. The Chinese believe chronic pain to be a symptom of something else which manifests due to decay or an imbalance in one’s yin-yang. This balance can be regained through traditional treatments, such as acupressure, cupping, acupuncture and massage.
For example, acupuncture is believed to stimulate your nervous system and can help relieve chronic pain in the body, while cupping helps with chronic muscle pain by providing relief on the surface of the skin. Massage is also recommended for chronic conditions; it strengthens the muscles, provides relief from chronic muscle tension or arthritis pain, and promotes healthy blood circulation.
It can help create a pathway towards managing chronic pain. This pain management program should include a combination of medical resources such as what drugs to use and when, lifestyle choices that can help you avoid situations that might make your chronic pain worse, and diet as well as exercise options that can reduce inflammation and potentially reduce or eliminate some of the chronic pain entirely.
Foods That Can Help Reduce Chronic Pain
Depending on what causes your pain, dietary changes can help dramatically with both pain management as well as potentially eliminating that chronic pain entirely. The biggest way that this can happen is by reducing inflammation.
Foods That Can Help Reduce Inflammation
There are many foods out there that can help reduce inflammation and luckily, we're not asking you to start eating rabbit food here either. Many men often hear the idea of "diet" being discussed and think that means they will be relegated to just eating salads and kale smoothies. While this can help improve your health, there are some other great options as well.
- foods higher in Omega 3s
- foods higher in antioxidants
- ginger, turmeric, and mustard are all spices that can help manage chronic pain
- some fruits such as cranberries or blueberries
- dark chocolate
- vegetables like beets, cauliflower and broccoli
- foods that are low in sugar such as kale or spinach.
Eating these items can help reduce chronic pain and there are many ways to consume them. For instance, while most people think of "Omega 3" oils and immediately assume we're talking about fish - A standard sized serving of grass-fed top sirloin has 65 mg of Omega 3 fats, 50% more than grain-fed beef.
In addition to pain management, Omega 3 fats have other health benefits for me too.
Some of the best treatments for chronic pain include things you might not expect; they're just a little outside your normal realm of thinking about chronic pain management options. They could make all the difference when it comes to reducing chronic pain levels so don't hesitate to explore them!"
Don't Make Your Pain Worse - Know Your Limits
Don’t be a hero and also, don't abuse pain relievers so that you can just "play through the pain".
Dealing with chronic pain can be difficult for many of the systems of your body. Know when to take a break, get rest and when you need to slow down. Pushing yourself past your natural limits doesn’t help anything and it can actually make your pain more intense.
Conclusion
Living with chronic pain can be a tough cross to bear. Talk with your doctor, visit a pain management advisor and adapt your life to help you stay productive while dealing with your discomfort. Remember to fashion your life around your abilities and be patient with yourself. Making small changes that include a strict self-care routine can help you to cope with your chronic pain.
