A lot of people live with chronic pain. The sources come from a variety of places, from strain over time leading to musculoskeletal problems to arthritis.
There are many conditions that come with their own brand of chronic pain, as well. It can be debilitating, and many suffer in silence because it isn’t always obvious.
But you shouldn’t be left to the whims of what your body’s feeling. If you can take back your life from pain, even slightly, it’s worth doing it. Here are a few steps that many find work for them.
As always, I am not a medical professional, so please speak to one before making changes in your daily habits and diet.
Get up and move
To some people, this sounds like the opposite of good advice. When you’re already in pain, you don’t want to hear “no pain, no gain”.
However, even with conditions that limit activity like osteoporosis, exercise has been found to show a great effect in reducing the sensation of pain.
This is mostly due to the release of endorphin during exercise blocking pain signals. Low impact exercises are best for many suffering from musculoskeletal issues, but it’s a good idea to involve your doctor and find which exercises are safe for you.
As always, you are what you eat
If inflammation is a big part of what causes you pain, then there are a lot of ways to manage it through your diet. Fish high in omega-3 and leafy greens can help.
Conversely, chocolate, dairy, and high-fat red meat can work against you. One ingredient being widely praised for reducing inflammation is turmeric.
Particularly when dealing with things like arthritis, this spice can help your ligaments become more flexible, meaning less pain when moving your limbs.
Beware the body-mind link
If you didn’t already know, then it’s time to learn that stress of the mind easily becomes stress of the body and vice-versa.
Negative feelings increase your sensitivity to pain and can also passively tense your muscles.
Relaxing techniques like meditation and aromatherapy can do a great deal to ease stress.
Massage and yoga tackle both the physical and the mental issues all at once, so those might be the best stress-busting methods to choose.
Talk about it
Similarly, one of the benefits of seeking a support group is that talking through your troubles is another great way to deal with stress. There are support groups for all kinds of chronic conditions out there, from arthritis to cluster headaches.
They may also be able to point you in the direction of alternative treatment methods you wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. Studies show that many of the people who attend support groups for chronic pain tend to relate a lower level of pain after joining than before.
Whether that’s down to practical advice or lower levels of stress due to dealing with it alone isn’t always clear.
Of course, always keep your doctor informed of any major changes to your body and pain you’re feeling. Depending on your condition, they can help you manage pain and even tackle the root causes with a variety of treatments such as biofeedback therapy.
There are solutions out there and they might be able to help you find them.
