Pain signals in your body can be caused by an injury, illness or prolonged physical, emotional or social stress. Chronic pain can be very difficult to manage.
But there are things you can do to help reduce your pain and increase your quality of life. Your doctor can help you find a treatment plan that works for you.
Exercise
Despite chronic pain’s negative reputation, regular exercise is often the most effective way to manage it. Physical activity can help reduce your pain, improve your overall health and boost your mood.
Exercising helps the central nervous system to release chemicals called endorphins that naturally relieve pain. It also increases blood flow, distributing oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, so they can work more effectively.
It’s important to start with light exercises and gradually build up the time, distance and intensity of your workouts. Having a reputable health and fitness professional to guide you through your routine is also helpful.
The key is to find an exercise that you enjoy doing and stick with it. If you have chronic pain, it may be a good idea to get some help from a specialist therapist or healthcare professional who can teach you how to approach exercise in a healthy way that is not likely to aggravate your condition.
Diet
The importance of eating a healthy diet for managing chronic pain is well-known. It can help to alleviate the symptoms of pain, and reduce the risk of certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. In case where you aim for an article source about chronic pain, sneak a peek at this website.
Diet can also help to improve your immune system, which helps fight off infections and inflammation. Eating foods that are rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as berries, tomatoes, spinach, and peppers can help.
In addition to helping to relieve pain, eating a balanced diet can help to improve your health and reduce the risk of other conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure. Incorporate plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and protein foods into your daily meals and snacks.
Nutrition-related factors such as malnutrition, obesity, unhealthy dietary behaviors, and poor dietary intake are associated with chronic pain. A nutrition assessment should be conducted to identify these risk factors early in the treatment process.
Stress management
Stress can cause you to feel tense, anxious or down. It can also interfere with your work, sleep or other daily activities and make you less able to cope.
Managing your stress can be an important step in managing chronic pain. Everyone has different ways they deal with stress, but some techniques include meditation, yoga and tai chi.
Some people may find that it helps to talk to a therapist or counselor. A counselor or therapist can help you develop coping strategies and learn new skills that will better manage your stress.
Practicing positive attitudes can also help reduce stress. Expressing compassion, gratitude and loving-kindness can buffer us against the negative effects of stress and help us be more empathetic.
Medication
Pain is a serious medical problem that can affect every part of your life. It can make you feel depressed and anxious, affect your sleep and impact your relationships.
Your healthcare provider can help you find ways to manage your chronic pain and get the best results. This can include medicines, physical therapy and lifestyle changes.
Medicines can be taken orally (by mouth), as a topical cream or liquid, or as a nasal spray. They can be taken for short periods when you have a flare-up of symptoms or used for long-term treatment.
Medications can help to ease your pain and reduce inflammation (redness, swelling and sensitive nerve endings). Some work by blocking chemicals called prostaglandins. Others are sedatives or antidepressants.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is also sometimes prescribed to treat mild to moderate pain. But you should not take more than two acetaminophen pills per day because it can cause liver damage. If you think you have a problem with taking acetaminophen, tell your doctor.