Living with chronic pain is no joke, and there are times in your life when the pain you’re experiencing may feel too much and overwhelming. This is due to it being relentless and seemingly nothing, giving you any, if much, relief at all. Chronic pain can be caused by a health condition such as fibromyalgia or arthritis, or it can be caused by an injury that doesn’t heal, and there is no medical cause for the pain you’re feeling. And as everyone experiences pain in different ways, controlling it and managing chronic pain isn’t linear or straightforward.
For many living with chronic pain, each day is a journey of discovery. It’s about finding different tips, medications, and lifestyle changes that can help you build a healthy lifestyle around your pain levels. This process, though challenging, can be empowering as it allows you to take control and live your life as you want to.
If you’re looking for non-prescription medication changes or actions to add to your life to help you control your chronic pain levels, these suggestions give you some places to start and things to try.
Supplements
Supplements can be a ray of hope in your journey to manage chronic pain. Trying natural supplements like omega 3, glucosamine, chondroitin, vitamin D, and magnesium can be part of a longer-term strategy. They offer the potential for relief, while supplements like CBD and thc gummies for pain can provide more immediate relief when you need it.
Mobility Exercises
Mobility exercises are active stretching movements that help you increase flexibility and range of motion in muscles and joints. The combination of chronic pain and tight muscles can help the pain feel worse than it is or was. The addition of mobility exercises can help you alleviate pain associated with tight muscles and stuffed joints to give you some relief or lower pain levels. The type of mobility exercises you need to do or could help depends on the pain you’re feeling, but incorporating small mobility movements throughout your day can be extremely beneficial.
Alternative Therapies
Alternative therapies are your treatments, such as acupuncture, acupressure, massages, chiropractic treatment, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and more. They’re all aimed at helping to relieve stress and tension from the body and moving your body in ways that are beneficial to help you with pain management or reduction. Each one will work in different ways, and the treatment you receive will be primarily based on what you need it for, i.e. chronic headaches or joint pain, muscle spasms or all-over pain and sensitivity from autoimmune conditions, for example. The practitioner will take time to understand your needs and develop a treatment program designed to give you the maximum benefit possible.
Meditation
Meditation is a practice of refocusing on the here and now. It can be all too easy to get caught up in pain and allows this to impact your mental health. And that’s not to say living with chronic pain isn’t hard. It is incredibly challenging. But learning how to cope mentally can give you some relief, and meditation can give you this relief, even if it’s for a short time. Take the time to practise meditation techniques to allow you to utilise this tool for your benefit when you need it.
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