Any degree of pain that continues for more than three or four months can be termed “chronic.” Chronic pain is a condition that is common to many illnesses and injuries. There could be physical causes such as injuries, burns, nerve damage, inflammation or aging.
Psychological causes such as anxiety and stress, or depression, genetic factors such as migraine headaches, lifestyle causes due to excessive weight or constant impact on certain muscles, and nutritional deficiency in certain vitamins are other reasons for chronic pain.
Approaches To Chronic Pain
One of the first reactions to pain is to seek relief via painkillers. Popping a pill is the easiest and most convenient way to get rid of those joint pains or migraines. The problem with this approach is that either you get addicted to the medication, as in the case of the recent opioid crisis, or the pills begin to damage organs, disturb your digestion or simply fail to act after a while.
Chronic pain sufferers may also resort to traditional or alternative medicines. This would include massage, acupuncture or acupressure, herbal remedies, hypnosis, yoga or meditation, music and art therapy, psychoanalysis and counselling, biofeedback, or chiropractor-led therapies. These therapies are highly individualized, and have to be prescribed by a trained, reputed and experienced professional. Consistency and dedication are the key to success here.
Home remedies are another popular strategy to combat chronic pain. These are largely undocumented, and rely on anecdotal evidence. Many of them do offer relief, but patients have to understand how and why they work for best results.
Self-Care and Pain Relief
The first step in dealing with chronic pain is to understand the source and exact location of the pain. For instance, chronic back pain could arise out of continuous sitting at your computer in an awkward posture. You may develop carpal tunnel syndrome due to constant strain on your wrists. Tennis elbow or knee pain may arise from sports injuries.
Some pains are not easy to identify. These may arise out of an underlying condition, and you may need a thorough check-up to figure out the cause of the pain.
It’s a good idea to consult a qualified physician who can prescribe the appropriate painkillers based on their diagnosis. The medicines could be OTC pills. Alternatively, you may have to apply a topical painkiller in the form of a patch, cream, lotion, spray or balm.
With the information available to you, you can explore different daily self-care habits to support long term pain relief.
Apply Heat and Cold: You can get relief from pain by applying heat or cold directly to the affected area. Ice-packs, hot water bottles, wet fomentation, heating pads, or a long warm bath can help you immensely.
Gentle, regular exercise gives great relief by slow stretching of stiff muscles. This is effective in cases of arthritis.
Breathing exercises are effective when you want to relax. This helps you to shift focus away from the pain and lessen its impact.
Ensure that you eat right, and consume a nutritious, balanced diet that contains vitamins and minerals. Staying hydrated helps to increase circulation and keep the muscles and joints flexible.
One of the prominent features of chronic pain is stress. You can de-stress by listening to music, taking up an engaging hobby, connecting with loved ones, keeping your surroundings organized and clean. Mindfulness and practicing kindness and gratitude go a long way in taking the edge off your pain.
Journaling has proven to be a highly effective strategy to combat chronic pain. Maintaining a daily journal, sharing your deepest fears, hopes and secrets in a diary helps to clarify your thoughts, find more objectivity, and vent your emotions. You may have friends and family who you can confide in, but with journaling, you have a non-judgmental confidant who will never betray your innermost shares.
Getting the right quantity and quality of sleep is crucial. Ensure that you make sleep a priority in your daily routine. You can develop your own sleep rituals, and create the right space and ambiance to help you get your full eight hours. Sleep helps to repair and restore strained muscles and relax an anxious mind. When you wake up you will feel more refreshed and better equipped to deal with pain.
If you do have any unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, a sedentary lifestyle, digital addiction, substance abuse, binge eating or negative thinking, deal with these issues for long-term relief from chronic pain.
You can get more ideas for self care from Rest & Digest – a resource with information on wellness, yoga, relaxation, breathing and everything you need to help you with dealing with pain naturally and looking after your physical and mental health.
