Pain is pain. You never know how good you have it until something suddenly starts hurting – you wake up and your back feels like you slept on spikes, or you come back from boxing and your wrist hurts as if somebody used it instead of a bag for punching.
Pain is a fact of life; it is inescapable, and you will get injured, have an accident, or just have a headache or stomach ache at some point in your life.
They can even help toughen you up or make you more resilient against other diseases or injuries and the like, but still, you certainly don’t want the aches lasting any longer than necessary, and with that in mind, here are some general tips for relieving and avoiding pain as much as possible.
Let’s take a closer look.
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Limit Stress
This one goes without saying, of course, but try to limit the stress in your life, especially if you are suffering from chronic pain like frequent migraines and so on. Especially when you are already in pain, relaxation and taking it easy may seem impossible but it is necessary so your problems don’t worsen.
If the pain does become worryingly intense, you absolutely should see a pain management specialist in Westchester so you do not suffer serious damage that may have long-term consequences. Otherwise, take deep breaths and “meditate” when everything gets too much.
Take a few minutes and just turn inward for a while, let everything settle, and slow down. You might be surprised by just how effective those few minutes can be.
Exercise Regularly
You should be keeping fit and exercising regularly in general, even when you don’t feel like doing it, because it can help those who suffer from chronic pain too, as exercise keeps your muscles and blood moving, allowing them to work and stay in regular movement.
Keeping fit helps your body stay healthy and helps prevent the likelihood of any further injuries occurring, which would really ruin the whole day.
It has also been proven that exercising and vigorous activity release endorphins throughout your body, which means you will feel better and happier every time you are doing it.
So grab your sneakers and shirt and head out for a jog or to the gym.
Eat Healthy
Having a healthy diet is another key. A diet that is rich in fresh vegetables and fruit is a great foundation for keeping your body in superior condition. Also, foods that are high in omega 3 like fish and nuts, help combat and reduce inflammation in your joints.
Especially if you already have health issues, try to avoid processed and sugary foods that contain a lot of salt, as they can play havoc on your digestion system, which in turn can end up causing stomach aches and digestion issues.
So the food you should be staying away from generally anyway, you should absolutely stay away from now.
Cut the Alcohol
Alcohol may seem like the quick and easy way to reduce the pain, but in the long run, it will only worsen your issues, as it is actually a depressant.
So, while you may feel good after that second drink, the next day you will be in even more pain and even deeper depression, until the next drink, after which you will feel even worse, and you will be in a vicious cycle that is brutal to get out of.
Alcohol can also make it hard to sleep, and as chronic pain already makes sleeping difficult, why make it even harder on yourself?
It may seem difficult at first, but completely avoiding alcohol is the best bet for you other than any possible medicinal prescriptions.
Seek Treatment
If you have problems with chronic pain, seeking medical treatment may be an effective method to get some relief, with a range of available treatments that can help people with their pain.
Go to a doctor or a specialist, a medical professional who can diagnose your problem or problems, or work with an already existing diagnosis and recommend some viable courses of treatment for you.
Depending on where your pain is and the frequency at which it occurs, a schedule can be designed specifically for your needs to help reduce your pain.
Having to live with pain is bad enough, but if there is any way of making it more bearable, you should take it if at all possible.
Hobbies and Engagements
Try to cultivate regular hobbies and social engagements, especially when you have received a diagnosis of chronic pain. You may feel tempted to just shut yourself in and avoid everyone and everything, shut out the world, but you cannot let yourself succumb to it.
You must keep yourself occupied and active, keep your body active, and mind sharp and awake. If you already have hobbies, try to keep them up, and in case you don’t, do some research or ask around for something that might interest you.
Find a local sport or activity like football, martial arts, or anything that appeals to you.
Find Others
Join a support group, connect with friends, go online, and talk to people who have the same issues you do. Not only might you find genuinely helpful advice that could manage your pain and deal with issues you face in your daily life, but just the fact that you are not alone in your situation may be a powerful mental aid as well.
Learning from other’s experiences and maybe mistakes may prove to be extremely beneficial, so connect with others, whether in real life or over the internet.
Pain cannot just be ignored or pushed away, and sooner or later it will have its day, especially if it is a chronic issue you might have to deal with for a while.
Now, sadly, there is no magic spell to just make it disappear, but there are ways and methods of at least getting some relief, blunting the sharp edge. Hopefully, now you at least have a rough idea of what to do and look for.
