Soothing the Pain: 4 Strategies to Help Manage Chronic Pain

This is a collaborative post

Chronic pain can be debilitating and take a toll on your physical and mental health. Currently, it is thought that between a third and half of UK adults suffer chronic pain. Finding the right strategies to manage your pain and live as complete a life as possible can take some time, but it is worth pursuing to improve your quality of life. The following suggestions can help you to manage your condition daily.

Move around and stretch regularly.

Stretching can be a great way to ease pain and increase flexibility. Not only will stretching increase your flexibility, but it will also increase circulation and reduce tension. You tend to hold onto tension in your muscles when you’re feeling pain. By stretching them, you’ll help to lessen muscle pain and increase your range of motion. You can also incorporate more active forms of stretching into your daily routine. Active stretching forms will help increase blood flow and reduce tension, helping to ease the pain. Another way to increase blood flow and reduce pain is to exercise regularly. Not only will physical activity help to reduce pain, but it can also offer a release from stress. Find an activity you enjoy, whether it’s walking, yoga, or fitness classes, and incorporate it into your daily routine.

Take over-the-counter medication

Chronic pain is felt and experienced in different ways and with varying levels of severity from person to person. While some may manage without the help of medication, others may find they need a combination of medicines to help them get through the day. The truth is no one pill works for chronic pain, but an excellent place to start is to try over-the-counter medications to see if they offer any relief. This can be simply taking paracetamol every day or combining different OTC medications. But remember to research what you are taking to ensure the correct dosage. For example, always ask can i take ibuprofen with panadol before taking them and check the packaging, significantly if you are changing from a different brand.

Try acupressure mats

Acupressure is the practice of applying pressure to specific parts of the body. Acupressure mats are specially designed balls that you can use to apply pressure to particular areas of your body. Not only can they help you relax, but they can also help to relieve pain. The pressure applied to the wrists, shoulders, and ankles can help unblock your energy and reduce pain. You can use an acupressure mat in several ways. You can lie down on the mat and place the mat on your abs. This will help to relax your abdominal muscles and relieve lower back pain. You can stand on it to help stimulate pressure points on your feet, or you can use a shaped pillow for your neck to relieve shoulder and neck pain.

Try heat and cold therapy.

When it comes to heat and cold therapy, you need to know when best to use each one. Heat therapy is best for stiffness and warming muscles, while cold therapy is for swelling and pain. However, when you are in pain, you often suffer from tense muscles due to the pain site, so using heat and cold alternately can give you relief and help you to reduce pain and inflammation in sore areas.

Conclusion

Chronic pain can be challenging to manage. With the right strategies, you can reduce the level of pain you experience and live a more pain-free life. Move around, stretch, take over-the-counter medication, try acupressure mats, use heat and cold therapy, and try changing your lifestyle. By taking control of your pain, you can better manage your condition and live a more active life.