Do you experience chronic pain? Have you been examined by your physician as well as a specialist and nothing has helped? Research shows that these 12 tips may reduce the intensity of both physical and emotional pain.
Positive Imagery: Close your eyes and imagine going to a relaxing place where you feel peace and happiness. What do you see? What do you smell? What do you taste? What do you hear? What do you feel? You may be near the beach and feel a light breeze and smell the salty air or you may be in a beautiful green field and smell the fresh flowers and hear the gurgling of a nearby brook.
Focused Breathing: Take deep slow breaths. Focus on the air going in and out of your nose or mouth. Turn your focus from your pain to your breath. “The Journal of Neuroscience” published a study in 2011 that showed a 40% decrease in the intensity of pain and a 57% decrease in the unpleasantness of pain by focusing on breath rather than pain. This retraining the brain to stay focused on breathing rather than the pain took time and practice, but was often accomplished without the help of a professional.
Mental Anesthesia: Imagine a pain reliever being injected into your most painful spot. Close your eyes. Imagine the relief.
Create a relaxing environment and appeal to your senses: Shift your focus from the pain that you are feeling to your other senses. Dim the lights, put on soothing music, burn a candle with a sweet-smelling aroma, suck on a mint, sit in a comfortable chair. Be mindful of what you are seeing, smelling, hearing, and tasting.
Tai Chi: This is a form of Chinese martial arts that emphasizes deliberate slow movements. Studies have shown that Tai Chi has helped relieve pain associated with arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Exercise: Getting physical releases endorphins which are brain chemicals that improve your mood and lower your stress.
Distraction: Find something you enjoy doing to distract yourself from your pain. If you begin to focus on your pain- be mindful and return your focus back to the enjoyable activity.
Get a massage: Relaxation helps decrease pain.
Limit alcohol intake: Alcohol may decrease your pain temporarily, but it also impacts your sleep. You may wake up tired, irritable, and hung over in addition to your pain that has returned. This often leads to a desire to drink more alcohol which can lead to addiction.
Join a support group or find a qualified professional for consultation: Now that you have spent time learning to refocus your attention away from your pain, you may need some time to discuss what you are going through. You may also learn other coping strategies.
Biofeedback: Find a professional trained in biofeedback. Through biofeedback the mind learns to control bodily functions. This often helps with pain.
Healthy diet with plenty of water: Give your body the nutrients it needs to function at an optimal level. Poor diet and dehydration can trigger and increase pain.
Warning: Please consult your physician before beginning Tai Chi or any other exercise program. Depending on the location of your pain, you may need to consult a physician before getting a massage.
Sources:
www.livestrong.com/article/465013-exercise-for-the-mental-control-of pain/
www.m.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/11-tips-for-living-with-chronic-pain?page=4
Science Daily: Tai Chi Exercise Reduces Knee Osteoarthritis Pain in the Elderly, Research Shows
Spine-Health: 11 Chronic Pain Control Techniques; Block, Andrew R. Ph.D
“The Journal of Neuroscience”; Brain Mechanisms Supporting the Modulation of Pain by Mindfulness Meditation; Fadel Zeidan, et al, April 2011.
Advil.
You have got me laughing.
I am thinking ‘of course’ why didn’t I think of that one. Thanks for commenting Anneli. I am still smiling.
Great tips Kristin, I will pass this on to the physician I work for. Have a great evening.
Thanks, Tina. Have a great day!
Great post and so true. After suffering ongoing pain after a car accident I tried all manner of treatments and techniques to cope with my pain. One treatment I found tremendous relief from is called N.E.T (Neuro-emotional Technique) I wonder if you have ever heard of it? It is that ability to unlock pain areas by finding the emotion attached. Emotions can impact our pain levels so intensely and I have been going to N.E.T for a few years now along with keeping up the ideas you have mentioned in your post and I feel terrific.
I am so glad that you are feeling better! I am not familiar with N.E.T. but am interested in finding out more. Thank you so much for sharing what has worked for you.
My pleasure and you too, your tips are truly helpful. I have nominated you for the “Readers Appreciation Award” You can collect it at the following link..
http://innerangelsandenemies.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/reader-appreciation-award-thank-you/
Blessings to you! Keep up the great work, we love reading!
Thank you so much! I am honored. I will go check it out.
The reason I ask that question to you, is because I have a condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia in my face, let me tell you it is a pain like no other. At times I am sitting on the fence of going mad or not. I feel I have reach a point of repeated 2 steps forward and 4 steps backwards all the time. I am on meds and tried a lot of your great suggests. Bye the way, I love your suggest of Mental Anesthesia.
I am so sorry that your pain is so intense. Let me know if mental anesthesia is helpful.
Nice post. I’m sending it to a friend whose wife suffers from fibromyalgia…
Thanks, Todd. I hope it helps.
Reblogged this on fibrohappiness and commented:
Another great post from Kristin at Let Life In Practices! Many of these tips for managing chronic pain also apply to successful stress management in our daily lives. Managing stress (a/k/a “distress”) is imperative to virtually every aspect of healing, happiness, and self-realization. I encourage everyone to not only read and consider Kristin’s suggestions but to actually choose at least 2 of these methods and start today — actually practicing them. Great ideas cannot change our lives until we start putting them into practice. Blessings, love & light, Sloan
Sloan, Thank you for sharing my post with your readers. I love what you added and couldn’t agree more. Intentions are just intentions. Nothing changes without action.
Positive imagery and distractions both have helped me immensely.Thanks for posting such an informative and helpful post!
You are welcome. I am glad that you find it helpful.
Thank You!
You are very welcome!
Managing the pain is how I got through three live births with no anesthesia — and would do it all again! These techniques really do work (I wouldn’t know about Tai Chi or biofeedback, though).
No anesthesia! I am sure you could teach us a thing or two about managing pain.
Thank you so much for sharing!