Living Well with Chronic Pain

I lived in chronic pain for many years. This pain was brought on by a joint disease that left me with many complications and incredible pain. At one point I was given the strongest prescriptions available to combat the agony my body was putting me through.

In addition to powerful drugs, I was blessed to have the advice of several excellent Occupational Therapists, doctors, and other pain patients. I also have many years of trial and error in learning how to cope with daily life in pain. I'd like to share some of those tips in this article.

First, you should set up lines of communication between yourself, your family, and your doctors. Be sure that first of all, your family knows what you are dealing with and that you and your doctors are working on it. Family members tend to fear the unknown. If you assure them that you are an informed patient and that your doctors are competent, they will feel better about your situation.

Be sure that your doctors are approachable and you feel comfortable talking to each of them. If you are not, and it's on the doctor's part - consider changing doctors. In most cases, even if your insurance company sent you to them, you're not married to this doctor. You are the patient and what's more, you are the one footing the bill (you are, after all, paying for the insurance!). You have the right to choose.

Most people dealing with chronic pain have several physicians, and they are usually in different locations. Having clear lines of communications between them can prevent prescription errors, unnecessary visits, and misunderstandings. This is especially important for pain patients, because of the powerful drugs that may be given.

Second, take a look at how you go to bed, sleep, and get up in the morning. Establish a routine that promotes sleep. Avoid eating anything heavy at bed-time. Keep a drink of water at your bedside, so that if you do wake up you don't have to get up to get a drink. Buy yourself a good hypoallergenic pillow. If your insurance company will cover it (many will, with a doctor's prescription) get a memory foam mattress (my experience is that cost=quality with them. Invest in a brand name mattress). Make sure that your bedroom promotes sleep: turn off the television, make sure the room is completely dark and warm, and if it's not quiet, try earplugs. If you suspect that you have sleep problems (insomnia, apnea, etc.) discuss this with your doctor. Lastly, when you wake up in the morning, take a few minutes to gently stretch before you try to get up.

I always found it helpful to take a long, hot shower when I first got up. On VBPD's (Very Bad Pain Days), I would pour myself into the hottest bath I could stand, and then into a hot shower. I use a product by Queen Helene called Batherapy - it's green and it smells foul (minerals) - but it relieves joint and muscle pain like nothing else.

Next, have a professional, friend or family member help you look around your house. (Some insurance companies will send an Occupational Therapist out to help you do this). Grab a clipboard and go room by room. Make small changes immediately and have two pages on the clipboard: a shopping list and an idea list.

You're looking for ways to do three things: Reduce the amount of work, reduce the number of items you need to clean, reduce the stress the work you do puts upon your body.

For example, in your kitchen, you might re-arrange your cupboards so that you remove all but the most frequently used items. You might also put the heavier items at waist height. There are literally thousands of ADL's (products that help with Activities of Daily Living) to help with kitchen chores - ranging from special knives to doodads that help you pour more easily. Many people benefit from using a small cart on wheels to transport food and other items. If your budget allows, you can also do more extensive modifications - raise or lower a counter, add a dishwasher, or better design overall.

There are literally hundreds of simple ideas that you can employ to make your life easier. De-clutter each room (Have your friends help you hold a yard sale, or give to a local charity as a tax write-off!) Replace items that are difficult to clean with things which are easier to deal with. Most importantly, do things that will reduce stress on your body. You can raise or lower where you store things. I had good luck with building up the handles of things like brooms and kitchen utensils. This makes them easier to grip and enables you to use them with much less force.

Don't try to put a thousand changes into place overnight! Pick a few things, implement them, and then see how they're helping. Then pick a few more things to try. Otherwise, you will feel overwhelmed!

If you commit to changing your lifestyle to improve your health, you will soon be enjoying life more - even with chronic pain!