Imagine how you felt when you broke a bone in your body. The pain was unbearable, it caused quite some impairment in your daily activities, and it also affected your mood. You could not be more relieved when the bone healed and the cast was taken off. Now imagine how someone would feel if they had to live with this pain for a very long time. Any pain that lasts more than six months is called chronic pain. It can interfere with your work and can bring about the onset of issues such as depression and anxiety. We have gathered up some ways to help you to cope with chronic pain and improve your quality of life.
Table of Contents
Relaxation techniques
More often than not, the affected area is severely tense, leading to more pain. It is important to learn how to relax your body so that it is not so tense. Relaxation usually involves slow and deep breathing. There is also a technique called JPMR where you tense up a body part on purpose and then relax it, leading to complete relaxation in the body. This is done with everybody’s part starting from the hands.
Visual imagery
When the pain gets too much, it is important to distract yourself from it. This is why visual imagery is used so much in treating patients who have chronic pain. This involves trying to focus on mental pictures of things and places that make you happy. Even imagining or repeating positive phrases can help reduce pain. Try to bring the focus away from painful sensations and memories. Even watching television or listening to an audiobook can help you distract yourself.
Cannabis edibles
There has been a ton of research that indicates how cannabis can be really effective in helping patients deal with chronic pain. If you do not want to smoke, you can use edibles. They deliver the same benefits without the harmful toxins that you would get from smoking. You can check out getkush for a variety of edibles that you might want to try. Just remember to take a small piece before since these are more potent than smoking cannabis. These also last longer in the body which is why they are so good for pain.
Exercise
If you do not move your body, it will lead to the body stiffening up, leading to a lot more pain. Talk to your physical therapist about what kind of exercises would be best for your condition. Match it to your fitness level and take it from there. You do not have to go to the gym, you can easily work out at home. Working out regularly will make your joints more flexible and have a positive impact on your pain level. This will also help you maintain your mobility. This will also help you in avoiding disuse syndrome, where your muscles can become seriously weak due to no activity. Weak muscles are prone to more injuries.
It is important to understand how to cope with chronic pain. Use these tips to help you in improving your quality of life.
Tiffany is a Medical Student and also works as a fitness coach in part-time. She is also a writer and writes on health and fitness articles. Tiffany loves to engage with users and help them provide various useful information on General Health. She provides researched-based information and also featured on various blogs and magazines.