If you want to have less pain tomorrow than today, and next week than this week, it’s worth taking a close look at what you can do to change your life and get rid of your pain.
Ever tried to go all day without eating? Well, that’s what your muscles can feel like when you smoke. Smoking can also cause fatigue and lung disorders, and it can make it harder for the body to heal itself. It is best for your body if you quit smoking, especially if you have chronic pain.
If you smoke, open up your quit smoking toolbox today.
Not only do weak muscles lead to weaker muscles, but weak muscles can lead to falls. And falls can lead to more pain and less movement, and… You get the picture. There are hundreds of studies that hail the pain reduction benefits of even small increases in exercises. Even if you start very small, start somewhere.
You can avoid disuse syndrome by learning safe, effective exercises for your condition. Check out these ways to beat a sedentary lifestyle that you can begin today.
If you can reduce your stress, you can reduce some of your excessive pain.
It’s not just the emotional aspect of stress, however, which adds to pain. Stress releases stress hormones such as cortisone, which in turn cause inflammation and yes, more pain.
Start learning about stress management today, but don’t get stressed about it. There are actually many enjoyable and even fun ways to lower stress in your life.
Turning your attention elsewhere decreases the amount of energy your brain can spend on your pain. Allow something else to take center stage and you can decrease your pain experience. On the other hand, giving pain your full attention means that everything else gets blocked out.
If you find yourself centering in on your pain, it doesn’t always work to simply tell yourself you won’t think about it. We’re human, and saying we won’t think about something often makes us focus on it even more. Next time you catch yourself focusing on your pain, try one of these distraction techniques to help manage your pain.
These concerns are perfectly normal, but consider this: quitting your pain medication cold turkey can lead to worse problems, especially if you are taking opioids or anticonvulsants.
We are just beginning to understand the importance of good nutrition in chronic pain, but what we’ve learned so far has some pain physicians believing that good nutrition may be one of the best approaches to managing chronic pain.
We know that junk food causes inflammation, what’s now been coined the “inflammation diet” and that fruit and vegetables usually do the opposite. But do we really need a host of studies to tell us this?
We may hate to admit it, but most of us feel better when we eat our vegetables and drink more water. Maybe it’s time to put down that doughnut and coffee and start the day out right with some whole-grain cereal or protein-rich yogurt. Not sure where to start? Talk to your healthcare provider, or consult a dietitian.
This final tip on what to avoid so that you don’t worsen your pain may be the hardest to follow. When you have a day when you feel good you may frantically try to catch up—thinking that you’ll feel better if you do so. Though it’s tempting, pace yourself.
Many people find it helpful to keep a pain journal. It can be hard to see the effects of overdoing it, especially if your pain worsens a few days or a week later. By journaling your symptoms, many of the things that make your pain worse, or instead make your pain better, will become much clearer.
