The Struggle of Living with Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is a daily reality for far too many people. It is difficult to understand what living with chronic pain is like unless you’ve personally experienced it. Unless you know what it’s like to live with pain that continues every minute of every day with no relief or escape, it is virtually impossible to imagine the true reality of it. Chronic pain can feel overwhelming and it can seem inescapable.
Those of us living with chronic pain must find our own ways to coexist with constant pain while continuing to live our lives without letting that pain take over. It is an individual journey that we each must negotiate in our own way because what helps one person cope with pain may or may not work as well for someone else.
The good news is there are many ways to treat chronic pain and more are being discovered every day. If you are living with chronic pain, please know help is available. Something is out there that will work for you. Please do not stop trying to find effective tools that will allow you to continue living well and enjoying life despite constant pain.
Here are a few tips from folks living with chronic pain. We hope you find them helpful.
A few helpful tips..
- Find a medical professional specially trained in pain management. As much as your primary care doctor may want to help, he or she might not have the understanding, experience, or “know how” necessary to make a positive difference in your life as a victim of chronic pain. Chronic pain can’t be measured in a lab or identified on a scan. There are intricacies to pain that are puzzling and perplexing to physicians who are not familiar with chronic pain issues. That’s why there are doctors who are pain management specialists and highly trained in the field.
- Don’t stop moving. It’s normal and natural to want to sit still when you’re in pain, but that may not be the best thing for you. In fact, it could make your pain worse. It’s vital to speak with your pain management specialist about any activities and actions you should avoid and which ones might actually help. Simply incorporating some gentle exercise into your life might be beneficial. Many studies suggest that chemicals released in the body during exercise can influence pain signals to the brain. Any everyday activities that involve some type of movement are actually forms of exercise, like walking, gardening, dusting, and gardening. Dancing is a fun way to move the body and it’s something we can do in our own way and at our own speed. Just make sure not to overdo it in a way that may amplify your pain issues. Always speak with your medical care advisors before beginning a new activity.
- Avoid repetitive motions. Tasks that involve the same action repeatedly can worsen or ignite pain. Typing is a good example of something many of us do that involves repetitive motions. There are plenty of other activities involving repetitive motions, like painting a wall or cleaning the kitchen counter. Think about some tasks in your daily life that may include the same repetitive actions. Try to avoid or limit them as much as possible and make sure to take frequent breaks while engaged in repetitive activities.
- Change positions often. Sitting or standing for long periods without moving can exacerbate pain. Make sure to move around every now and then. If you’re sitting watching television, get up during commercials and walk around the room. If you spend long periods typing on your computer keyboard, make yourself take a break at least once every hour and do some gentle stretching.
- Accept that some people may not “get it.” If someone has never experienced constant pain, the person doesn’t know what it’s like and may not be able to relate to what you go through on a daily basis. Remember, pain is not something people can see. It is invisible to others. If you look healthy, other people tend to assume you feel fine, even if they’re aware you have chronic pain. They may say something like “You look great today. You must be feeling better” simply because you don’t seem to be obviously suffering. These folks mean well. They really want you to “feel better.” They don’t realize how much effort it can take to “appear normal” when living with constant pain. They don’t know that “appearing normal” probably means you had to “lay low,” restrict your activities, and perhaps take medication just to even show up that day. For someone living with chronic pain, there may be days when something as simple as lunch out with friends is impossible.
Age Adds Flavor
We are not old, we are seasoned!
Don’t forget to visit us on FACEBOOK!