Coping with Chronic Pain

Have you ever had a whopping headache and it just leveled you for half a day? Usually you can pop a few acetaminophen or ibuprofen and it let's up. If you get a toothache you can visit the dentist and have the source taken care of. Even the pain of breaking a bone usually resolves in about six weeks time. Pain is a relative thing. Each individual has a different tolerance or threshold for pain. There are those women who would choose natural childbirth over the help of medication to ease the discomfort. We see our favorite athletes quite often stay in the game rather than give in to an injury. When contemplating these scenarios it is apparent that these situations of pain are temporary. The women that endure a natural childbirth know that the pain will cease eventually and they will soon be joyfully holding their newborns. The athlete that runs the bases on a sprained ankle knows that the glory of winning a game is well worth it.

For some people however, pain is a constant companion. There are so many reasons why pain can become chronic. Arthritis, fibromyalgia, degenerative disc disease or cancer are just a few examples of sources of chronic pain. Imagine laying your head on the pillow tonight and being very uncomfortable because you hurt. You not only hurt but you know that pain will greet you in the morning. It will be there today and all of your tomorrows. This is what a person with chronic pain experiences. It is easy to see how some people turn to prescribed pain medication for relief. That is a common avenue but also can become debilitating in the form of addiction. So, how does a person cope with chronic pain without becoming dependant upon prescription medication?

Properly using over the counter non steroidal anti-inflammatories are one way. These are commonly referred to as NSAIDS. They include, aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium. The use of these products should be monitored by your doctor because they are not benign medications. Overuse can be toxic to your liver, esophagus and stomach. This can further increase your discomfort. Always, consult with your doctor before you change or adjust dosing in pain management. There are pain management clinics springing up all over the place now. These facilities can be very helpful in teaching you how to move your body and stretch sore ligaments. Physical therapy can be very beneficial in reducing the level of pain a person has day to day. Usually, there are special exercises that can be done in the home to augment the therapy.

Regular exercise is key to improving the quality of life and reducing pain for many people. Check with your doctor first and find out what fits your particular situation. Just ten minutes a day can greatly improve chronic pain. Gentle stretching, yoga, and walking is an excellent way to start off. A person that lives with chronic pain has only one other enemy. Inactivity is the number one mistake that a person in pain can make. It is so tempting to hobble out of bed every day and inch your way to the couch. Don't do it. When you do that you make pain right at home in your body. Wherever the pain originates from becomes protected by the muscles that surround it. How do the muscles protect that area? They go into spasms. It's like throwing a pebble in a calm lake. The pebble is the pain and the body is the lake. The body once calm and placid gets a jolt of pain and stays frozen in place while the muscles surrounding the painful area spasm in ever widening circles. Pretty soon a sore lower back becomes a sore neck. Legs become deconditioned with inactivity and they become weak and sore. The arms cannot possibly get enough use with the T.V. remote and snacking. The snacking and inactivity will lead to weight gain. The weight gain leads to more pain and the cycle of pain is not only never ending but it is worsening.

Adjusting your lifestyle to work with and around chronic pain is very beneficial. If you can no longer work at a physically demanding job it may be a good time to learn a new skill. Taking classes to learn a new occupation is sometimes paid for by employers or the government. Depression is very common among people that are in pain. Learning new skills and meeting people is very helpful. Staying connected to others is important to ward off depression. Having a social life may be hard to incorporate into your world if you are able to work. Sometimes working is all a person in pain has the energy for and fun falls by the wayside. Again, adjusting your lifestyle in this area is helpful. If staying out late is out of the question then perhaps meeting up with friends for breakfast or lunch is the answer. Talk to your family and friends about what you're limits are. Having to back out of plans at the last minute is more easily understood by others if they know your situation. Being honest with yourself and others is important.

Accepting your own limitations and working within those boundaries will help you to be more functional. Pushing yourself too hard is detrimental. Letting others push you because it makes them feel better is not acceptable. People around you may not want to accept that you have to make changes. It might scare them that you are not going to get back to your old self. That is why communicating is very important. Counseling may be the answer to helping you and your family adjust to chronic pain. Especially if household roles change. When one member of the family is ill or has undergone a major change in functioning the whole family dynamics change too. Emotional pain is something that can become chronic if not addressed.

Pain may always tuck you in at night and wake you before the sun everyday but it does not have to be the focus of your whole life. Find something that you are passionate about and lose yourself in it. You will be amazed to find how even chronic pain can fade to just being an extra in the autobiographical movie of your life. You are the director, the main character and you hold the camera. You get to choose what your camera focuses on. Picture yourself behind the lens looking outward. What do you see? If you are on the couch you see the ceiling. If you are like me you are outside on a sunny day peering through the haze at a beautiful little boy wearing a wiggly worm mustache! I love laughing even if it hurts.