My name is Jackie Waters, and I am a mother of four beautiful and energetic boys. I live with my family on our three-acre hobby farm in Oregon. My journey has been full of challenges… including a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. I know what it’s like to live with chronic pain and how the search for relief can sometimes feel hopeless, but I’ve learned through both research and experience that there are many things those of us suffering can do to ease our pain. While supported by research, the following article is largely based on my experience in coping with my arthritic pain. I hope these remedies will help you, too.
Although it seems completely unfair, chronic pain can hit you out of nowhere and with no clear trigger. Doctors sometimes don’t really know what causes it. What we do know, however, is that chronic pain is extremely tough to live with. Chronic pain can affect every aspect of your life, including your physical health, your mental wellbeing, and even your social life.
But it isn’t all doom and gloom. Finding ways to manage chronic pain can help you thrive in the face of your diagnosis. From healthy lifestyle behaviors to natural remedies like supplements, there are several ways to find relief and make peace with your condition. Here are some tips that I picked up while coping with my own chronic pain diagnosis.
Bring More Calm to Your Life
Feelings of stress can provoke muscle spasms, stiffness, and painful tension in the body. As a result, relaxation techniques can be beneficial for relieving muscle tension and reducing pain.
- In shock from your diagnosis? If so, take some time for yourself to absorb the news and come to terms with things.
- Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique for producing deep relaxation throughout the body and has been shown to relieve chronic pain, stress, and anxiety.
- If your home seems like a breeding ground for bad energy, do some cleaning and decluttering to banish those negative vibes.
- Begin your day with a calming morning ritual so you can stay relaxed right from the start.
Keep Your Body Moving
Exercise can have surprising benefits for chronic pain patients. Besides reducing the severity of pain, physical activity has several other benefits for your overall physical and mental health.
- Any form of exercise that doesn’t cause you discomfort may help to calm down overexcited nerves that trigger your chronic pain.
- Start with small lifestyle shifts, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator and devoting part of your lunch break to taking a walk, to increase your level of physical activity.
- Try a gentle, low-impact form of exercise, such as yoga or swimming, to get your muscles moving without worsening your pain.
Prioritize Proper Nutrition
Certain foods can contribute to inflammation in the body, increasing the severity of chronic pain. Try to stick to a simple, clean diet to lower inflammation.
- You can make all kinds of healthy recipes with simple pantry staples.
- Some of the best foods for reducing inflammation include berries, fatty fish, and green veggies.
- Consider cutting sugar from your diet. Sugar can hide in all kinds of packaged and processed foods, so be sure to read those ingredient labels.
- If you have a sweet tooth, stick to dark chocolate!
Try Natural Remedies
Prescription painkillers do nothing to treat the underlying cause of chronic pain, and they can be extremely addictive. Seek relief from natural remedies instead!
- Natural solutions, such as supplements, can provide relief from muscle pain, improve your sleep, and assist in treating head tension.
- Turmeric contains active compounds that are known to reduce inflammation.
- Acupuncture treatments tend to work well on chronic pain in the back and neck.
- Applying heat and ice may be effective for some types of chronic pain.
As you learn to live with your chronic pain, you will figure out which strategies and techniques work best for you. Don’t be afraid to try different things until you develop your perfect self-care strategy. Coping with chronic pain is difficult, but it’s not impossible.
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