In the US, around 20% of the adult population experiences chronic pain. This means that a fifth of adults suffer from pain that lasts over three months!
Living with chronic pain isn’t easy, especially if you have a demanding schedule. Plus, it can really affect your quality of life, and impact your mental health too.
However, there are steps you can take to lessen pain and get more independence and happiness back. Read on for four effective tips on managing chronic pain.
1. Exercise
This might sound like a strange suggestion; if you’re in pain, how are you supposed to move? And wouldn’t exercise just make things worse?
We’re not talking about running a marathon though. Simply taking a walk around the block can help immensely since exercise causes your body to release endorphins, a “feel-good” hormone.
Take it easy, and this physical activity can not only reduce pain, but also increase flexibility and nerve function, and reduce anxiety and depression.
2. Use Heat and Ice
Heat and ice are godsends for chronic pain relief. The right one to use depends on what types of pain you have.
In general, heat is useful for muscle pain. You can take a bath, shower, or use an electric heating pad or microwavable rice heat pack. These will all dilate your blood vessels and help your aching muscles and joints loosen up.
On the other hand, ice is good for reducing swelling and acute pain. Make sure you wrap up the bag of ice and only apply it for short periods of time to avoid further pain and injury.
3. Meditate
They say that a lot of what you feel is in your head (not to discount your actual pain). Your state of mind can greatly affect how you perceive pain, and meditation can help with that.
Taking even a brief moment to focus on your breathing can calm down your nervous system, as well as regulate your blood pressure. It can also decrease your anxiety and stress, which then has a knock-on effect of decreasing pain.
4. See Your Doctor
If you haven’t already, then definitely see your doctor about your chronic pain. Together, you can figure out what’s causing it, and which treatment options are available.
For example, there’s nerve pain treatment that can restore functionality without being invasive. This way, you won’t have to go through anything extensive to get relief.
Make Living With Chronic Pain Easier
Living with chronic pain can be a rollercoaster; it might feel better on some days, while it’s complete hell on others. And admittedly, you won’t get through every day while feeling your best.
However, if you try these things for painful injuries, then things can be more manageable. And with time, you’ll be able to resume a more fulfilling and satisfying lifestyle.
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