20 Mar 8 Tips on How to Successfully Cope with Chronic Pain
Suffering from chronic pain, for example headaches, back pain, can have a serious negative impact on your life. Clearly, since we are talking about chronic pain, it can be very difficult to treat it and get rid of it for good, but with various techniques you can manage it. There are ways of making the pain subside and even forgetting about it for a while.
Moreover, it is possible to use surgery to treat some types of chronic pain, but these are usually risky and sometimes expensive, so people learn to cope rather than taking a leap of faith. In the following article we will go over some tips and suggestions on how to manage your chronic pain, and there might be some ways you have not tried yet, so make sure you check it out.
Learn to relax through deep breathing and meditation
Deep breathing and meditation are really old techniques that are still used to this day to help our body relax. The mere act of relaxing muscles that are used to being tight all the time will help reduce the pain to an extent.
In order to effectively relax and meditate, try to find a room that is quiet and peaceful, and you can play some sounds of nature like rain, water, birds chirping, whatever soothes you. Close your eyes and focus all of your attention on deep breaths, this should help you relax.
Mitigate stress, because it magnifies the pain
Depression, anger, anxiety and stress in general can impact your sensitivity to pain, and if you can reduce the stress and negative feelings, you won’t feel in so much pain. It is important that you identify the stress triggers and determine whether you can do something about it.
If you are stressed about the things you cannot control, it is good to find some distractions, so that you do not dwell on those problems. Pleasant imagery, sounds and movies are good for you, so it would be wise to listen to, watch or read something uplifting and channel positive thoughts.
Use painkillers, but do not rely on them frequently
- Prescription bottle and pills
Another way of coping with pain is by using painkillers, and your physician has most likely prescribed some of them to you. However, it is really not smart to rely on them too frequently, because some of them can be addictive.
Furthermore, our bodies become resistant to some medications if we use them too often, so the more you take, the sooner they will become ineffective. Use them in situations when you are in serious pain and can’t relax or sleep. You should also try something that is anti-inflammatory for your muscles, since tense muscles intensify pain, as we’ve mentioned before.
Use EMPI TENS Units
Another way to treat pain is by using EMPI TENS units. This is a device that sends electric currents which can alleviate different types of pain. These are quite affordable, and it has been shown that sometimes painkillers are not as effective as EMPI TENS units, so if you have the same issues with your pills, consider this alternative.
These are quite versatile devices and they can be used in three different ways:
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES)
- High voltage units
These items are easy to use and you can do it from your home, which makes them very convenient. Additionally, you will see the results in a matter of minutes, so it is an easy and quick way to reduce chronic pain.
Exercise can be really helpful
Endorphins are, essentially, chemicals that improve our mood, while blocking pain signals. The easiest and healthiest way to achieve an endorphin release is through physical exercise. With exercise you strengthen your muscles, lowers the chance of injury and further pain (although if you exercise unsupervised, you can hurt yourself, so make sure someone monitors you), and burns plenty of calories.
So you can have better control over blood sugar and you lower the risk of heart disease. Moreover, for effective exercise you should also change your diet. By opting for healthier ingredients, you improve your mood, and reduce your stress, which helps you deal with chronic pain much more effectively.
Learn how to get more rest
- To be more relaxed and feel better, you need to be well rested. Sleep is crucial for coping with chronic pain, but sometimes it is the pain itself that prevents us from falling asleep. These are the circumstances in which you can use pain killers or EMPI TENS units.
Also, you should try to eat food that helps you fall asleep and that is easy on the stomach. Lastly, by exercising, you get more exhausted and that is the most important ingredient for good rest.
Get a massage
To reduce, pain, stress, and to get distracted from your problems you can book a massage or spend a whole day at the spa. If you know some places where you can get a professional massage, you should definitely visit them.
Alternatively, you can try acupuncture, since many people with similar problems have stated that it worked for them. A massage will definitely help you, and if you are experiencing back pain, this is the best thing you can do for yourself.
Track your activities for better insight
In order to help your doctor come up with an efficient treatment for your pain, you should keep a log or journal of your activities during the day. The doctor needs to know what your day is like and what you are doing when you experience the most intense pain.
Have a pain scale from 1 to 10 and monitor write down the pain intensity in your journal. Take this log book to every doctor’s visit, so that it can be used to create a treatment for you.
To sum up, there are different ways to deal with chronic pain and reduce it. Using the suggestions provided above, you can make your day more bearable, and you will also be able to function better.
