1. Explore different forms of pain relief
Prescription painkillers and over-the-counter NSAID painkillers are just two forms of pain relief. For certain types of pain like back pain and neck pain, it could be worth looking into massage therapy or possibly seeing a chiropractor. Holistic forms of therapy like acupuncture could be worth a try too. There’s also the option of herbal medicines which reduce inflammation and joint pain like turmeric, ginger and MSM are helpful to many people. You should consult with your physician before taking any supplement.
2. Reduce stress in your life
Stress can often aggravate and make everything including pain worse. It can increase inflammation around the body making any type of back or joint pain more intense. By finding ways to reduce stress in your life, you should also be able to reduce pain. Sometimes stress is unavoidable in our lives however there are many instances where we can find ways to calm ourselves, collect our thoughts and de-stress. Meditation is a common form of stress relief. Exercise, listening to music and laughter are other scientifically-backed forms of stress relief.
3. Stay active
Chronic pain can be both exhausting and uncomfortable. This can make the idea of exercise not very appealing but being physically active can actually help to reduce pain in many instances by loosening up muscles and releasing feel-good endorphins. Weight gain caused by lack of exercise can also make back pain and knee pain much worse. In the interest of general wellbeing, you should try to find ways of incorporating exercise into your daily life. Low-impact exercise is often best for pain involving muscles and joints as high impact exercise could aggravate pain. Types of low-impact exercise include swimming, walking and yoga.
4. Invest in sleep remedies
For many people, pain can affect sleep quality. If the body doesn't have a chance to properly rest and heal, it can make any type of pain worse. Investing in better bedding could help with certain types of pain - for instance an orthopedic mattress can lessen back pain, while cooling sateen or bamboo sheets may help with skin conditions like eczema. Alternatively, you could try using sleep medication or herbal sleep aid to help you to fall asleep as well as sleep better.
5. Quit bad habits
Bad habits like smoking and drinking often make chronic pain worse. While the high of nicotine and alcohol can provide a sense of temporary pain relief, sensitivity to pain can often increase once the effects wear off. Long-term use can also damage the body and exacerbate certain types of chronic pain. The best course of action is to quit or at least try to find a way to cut back on these bad habits.
This is a contributed post.
Photo: Vogue Korea
4 comments
Thank you for this post, chingu. Chronic pain is, indeed, an invisible illness and unless you or someone you know is going through it, it's very hard to explain to people. It really is debilitating especially back pain:( I know someone who's going through this and uses the Dr Ho machine but it can only do so much:( I do think sleep definitely and getting exercise really help in alleviating the pain.
I'm so overwhelm lately with work I need to take time for myself.
These are good tips.
These are all great tips Rowena! I sometimes get chronic back pain and it's the worst pain ever. I have to listen to my body and get rest.
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