health&FAMILY Living with chronic pain is truly awful, but there are things you can do to try and make life a little easier.
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Donna Fleming HEALTH EDITOR
THE FACTS...
hat that in th pain p in iiss pa pain iic pai hronic Chron •C lasts for weeks, months or even years. Doctors often define it as pain that lasts for three to six months or more. • It can be the result of an injury or a health condition, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, back problems, migraines or nerve damage. • Pain can range from a dull ache, throbbing, stiffness and general soreness through to a shooting, burning, squeezing or stinging sensation. • Depending on what is causing it, chronic pain can also be accompanied by other symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, mood changes, weakness and a lack of energy. • It can take a toll on mental health because it may stop you from getting enjoyment out of and getting on with everyday life. • Talk to your doctor about a plan to manage your pain. They may be able to refer you to a pain specialist for further help.
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HURT no EIGHT REMEDIES TO TRY IF YOU’RE CRIPPLED WITH CHRONIC PAIN
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or many of us, life with ongoing pain is a reality we have to put up with. If you have a condition that causes constant, ongoing pain, it’s important to have a good relationship with your specialist so you can try to find treatments and medications that are as effective as possible. But there are also other things you can do to hopefully make life more bearable. 1 LEARN RELAXATION TECHNIQUES Being in pain often leads you to tense your muscles, and that in turn causes more pain. Relaxing can help ease that pain. Ways of promoting relaxation include meditation, which involves concentrating on your breathing, ignoring
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thoughts coming into your head and focusing on a word, phrase or image. Deep breathing can also help with relaxation as can guided visualisation, which involves imagining scenarios that help you to feel calm. 2 REDUCE STRESS Again, this is something of a catch-22 – if you are in pain, it’s likely to be stressing you, and the more stressed you are, the worse your pain can be. This is because stress can increase the body’s sensitivity to pain and make it more severe. The relaxation techniques listed above can help to get rid of some of the stress you may be experiencing. Therapy can also help you tackle issues that are causing stress and find strategies for dealing with them.
Massage is another way of de-stressing. 3 TRACK YOUR PAIN For your doctor to be able to treat your pain as effectively as possible, they need to know how you’ve been feeling. Keeping a daily log of your pain levels can help you monitor your pain and different factors that have an impact on it, for example any activities you do or medication you take. Rate your pain on a scale from one to 10, write notes about how you feel and take the log with you to the doctor’s. 4 JOIN A SUPPORT GROUP Talking to others who understand what you are going through can help you to feel less isolated. They may also be able to share their tips on coping with pain and getting through
