10 tips for managing chronic pain

Kia Ora talofa and welcome I'm Dr. Janine Bycroft and in this post i'm going to run through some tips for managing chronic pain chronic pain is complex and in most cases there's no simple treatment or cure

however the good news is for many people with chronic pain they do get better and most can lead normal lives after seeing your doctor and working through any medical causes you may find one or more other following tips useful tip number one eat well and get enough sleep.

Tips managing chronic pain Topics:

1 Eat well and get enough sleep:
2 Stay active and pace yourself:
3 Distract yourself and practice being mindful:
4 Reduce stress by learning to relax:
5 Try massage therapy:
6 Use medication for acute pain and flareups:
7 Spend time with your family and friends:
8 Attend a pain self-management programme:
9 Seek counselling:

1 Eat well and get enough sleep:

like most health conditions what we eat and do every day makes a big difference have healthy meals drink water rather than juice or fizz and establish a regular sleep routine tip number two change the way you think about pain if you have had an injury perhaps you've injured your shoulder or knee then by the time you get to three months down the track the pain you still keep feeling is no longer a response to tissue damage instead it is like a song

playing over and over in your brain to help change the song or turn the pain volume down you can retrain your brain to respond to differently to it instead of reacting to the pain we can start playing a new song in your head and learn to respond with reassuring and positive thoughts that it's not causing you any harm and focus on what you can do to manage the pain at that moment tip number three

2 Stay active and pace yourself:

stay active and pace yourself most types of pain moving more and getting more exercise such as walking swimming and gentle stretching can help improve muscle strength and reduce pain and stiffness try to keep moving throughout the day rather than having long periods of sitting followed by short bursts of doing a lot tip number four

3 Distract yourself and practice being mindful:

distract yourself and practice being mindful engaging in activities you enjoy will help take your mind off your pain and can help reduce stress, tension and anxiety people have found it useful to take up new hobbies perhaps learn to paint or do something creative tip number five

4 Reduce stress by learning to relax:

reduce stress by learning to relax identify and reduce what stresses you find activities that help you relax and spend time each day doing them relaxation reduces muscle tension and helps the mind unwind tip number six massage therapy

5 Try massage therapy:

for centuries people have found massage therapy therapeutic and relaxing and it can really help to reduce aching muscles neck, shoulder and back pain tip number seven

6 Use medication for acute pain and flareups:

use medications for acute pain or flare ups pain relief medicines don't work so well in the long term for chronic pain but they can be useful when you have acute flares tip number eight develop your support

7 Spend time with your family and friends:

network and spend quality time with your whānau or family we know that having strong emotional support really makes a difference so join a support group or make time each week to connect with family and friends this will help you feel more positive and experience less pain overall tip number nine

8 Attend a pain self-management programme:

attend a pain self-management programme for a number of my patients this has been a really key turning point for them as I've learned about other tips ideas and approaches they hadn't thought of tip number ten counseling

9 Seek counselling:

counseling can help in different ways from learning new strategies for dealing with chronic pain through to working through any unresolved issues trauma or grief that may be aggravating your pain if there's any opportunity to see a counselor or a psychologist do take it up

it really can make a difference these are just some of the ideas you may find useful but if your pain continues to affect you or impact you on a day to day basis do make sure you go back and talk to your doctor thanks for Reading.