Millions of people around the world experience chronic pain on a daily basis. Such pain can stem from an injury or a medical condition. ‘Chronic’ typically means that the pain is ‘long-term’ or ‘untreatable’. Fortunately, all types of pain can be managed by exploring different forms of pain relief. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the most effective ways to treat chronic pain.
What are some of the most common types of chronic pain?
Chronic pain can affect various parts of the body. Some of the most common types of chronic pain include:
- Arthritis and joint pain
- Back pain
- Headaches/migraines
- Nerve pain
- Fibromyalgia
Different types of relief may be better at targeting different types of pain. For example, when looking into back pain treatment options, the likes of physical therapy and heat-ice application may be most effective. Migraines, on the other hand, are best managed by avoiding certain triggers or sticking to certain patterns, as well as looking into medication options like triptans.
That said, there are a few methods of managing chronic pain that are almost universal.
How to manage chronic pain effectively
Keep reading for ideas that may reduce your chronic pain.
Reduce stress
Stress increases inflammation and heightens pain sensitivity. It can also be a trigger for migraines or lupus flare-ups. We can’t always avoid stress in our lives, however there are many ways to relieve stress such as taking a five minute break to relax, meditate and listen to music. A hot bath in the evening could also help to relieve stress before going to bed.
Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
A good amount of sleep often helps to reduce flare-ups of various types of pain. Some people even find getting up at the same time each morning prevents migraines. Make sure your sleep schedule is consistent and that you’re getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night. This can be harder if you have young kids, but there are still ways to maximize sleep as a parent.
Engage in low-impact exercises
When it comes to managing many types of pain caused by inflammation such as joint pain and back pain, it’s often important to keep active, as physical activity prevents muscles seizing up and causes a release of endorphins. Unfortunately, high-impact exercises like running and jumping can often aggravate injuries and make pain worse. Low-impact exercises like swimming, walking and cycling however often won’t cause any aggravation, making them the best choice of exercise.
Take pain relief medication appropriately
There are various different types of medication – including over-the-counter meds and prescription painkillers – that can help to relieve pain. Minor aches may be possible to relieve with NSAIDs like ibuprofen or non-opioids like Tylenol, whereas more serious pain may require more heavy-duty meds like opioids. In all cases, stick to the recommended dosage to avoid side effects, and be wary of long-term dangers (trying to go a couple days without pain relief medication occasionally could help reduce any long-term damage to organs by providing time to heal).
Explore psychological therapies
Various types of psychological therapy may be able to help you manage pain better. While pain isn’t all in the mind, a large degree of pain is mentally controllable – the likes of CBT and ACT may teach distraction techniques and forms of stress management to relieve inflammation.
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