People can live with chronic pain for many months or even years after they experience an injury. Unfortunately, the persistent pain can impact every aspect of a person’s life. If you are currently living with the problem, learn how to alleviate chronic pain.
Enjoy a Massage
Massage can relax your muscles and restore your mental state. As a result, it can effectively combat chronic pain, as it can target sore spots across your body. What’s more, it can remove any stress or tension you’re holding onto in your body, so it is an effective form of chronic pain relief. Tailor a massage to your body’s needs.
Deep Breathing and Meditation Exercises
Deep breathing and meditation cannot only have a positive impact on your mental health, but the techniques can also encourage your body to relax, which can potentially alleviate pain. The soothing exercises can help you let go of unwanted tightness or tension. Simply ignore all thoughts in your mind and focus on breathing. While you can master meditation in your own home, it might also be helpful to attend a class to learn the best exercises and experience zero interruptions.
Kinesiology Tape
Kinesio tape can alleviate pain, relax muscles, reduce inflammation, help with rehabilitation and enhance performance by supporting muscles. Various Kinesiology tapings are available for different muscles such as shoulder tape, back tape, legs, arm, or any affected muscle. Kinesio Tape can be applied in the shape of an ‘I’, ‘X’, ‘Y’, ‘Fan’, ‘Web’ or ‘Donut’.
Avoid Stress
It’s amazing how stress can negatively impact your physical health. Anxiety, depression, anger, and daily tension can all increase pain within the body. So, if you want to take control of the pain, you must learn how to control your stress levels. De-stress both your mind and body by listening to calming music or enjoying a relaxing soak in a hot bath.
Start Exercising
Did you know exercise can be an effective form of pain relief? That’s because exercise releases endorphins, which are brain chemicals that will make you feel happier while blocking pain signals. What’s more, exercise can strengthen your muscles, which can prevent a re-injury. If you’re unsure whether to exercise when experiencing chronic pain, it’s advisable to discuss the best physical activities with your doctor.
Reduce Alcohol Consumption
As you are more than likely aware, chronic pain can make sleep difficult. Alcohol can also lead to sleep deprivation, which can exacerbate your problems. People living with chronic pain must reduce their alcohol intake, or cut it from their lifestyle altogether, as doing so can potentially improve their quality of life.
Track Your Pain
For a doctor to successfully treat chronic pain, they will need to know exactly how you have been feeling between appointments. It is, therefore, advisable to keep a journal or log, which will track your pain. Note your pain level each day, rating it between 1 to 10 on the pain scale (10 being the highest). It might also be a smart idea to detail what activities you performed every day, which the doctor can review to identify the best solution for your needs.
Are you currently living with chronic pain? Please share your story and tips by writing a comment below.
