Chronic or severe pain can interfere with your life on many levels and can even affect your ability to work, maintain relationships and sleep properly. But did you know that there are many pain management techniques that can work alongside your physical treatment plan to help relieve your symptoms?
Here our Southend chiropractor lists a few coping strategies that work effectively for many back pain patients:
Focus on your breathing
You may not be aware of this, but if your pain is severe, you are probably breathing more rapidly and shallowly than usual. Controlled, deep breathing can harness the nervous system’s “quieting response” and encourage a reduction in the pain you feel.
Lay down in a quiet room and switch of any distractions that may over-stimulate you. You can either close your eyes or focus on a specific point or object. Then, try to focus on nothing but breathing in and breathing out. If you can feel that you are in control of your body and take charge of your own breathing, you may feel in a more powerful position to stop your pain from controlling you.
Once you are breathing deeply, muscle relaxation will come naturally. The key is to try and let go of any feeling in your body and to remain entirely focused on your breathing.
Visualise a better place
Visualisation involves picturing a detailed situation and the emotions that accompany it. This technique can be extremely effective in providing pain relief.
If you suffer from severe or chronic pain, the situation you visualise may be one where you are pain-free, relaxed and feeling generally well. But there is not one visualisation that works for everyone; they key is finding one that works for you.
Many patients find it effective to visualise the sensations of taking a warm bath or relaxing on a beach. Religious or spiritual thoughts are also popular for helping patients to cope with pain. Oddly, even thoughts of food can help in some cases; some chronic pain patients find that focusing their thoughts on their favourite dishes helps to alleviate pain.
Remember that pain management is often subjective, and finding what works for you can take a little bit of trial and error. Make sure you talk to your chiropractor or health care professional and work together to find a strategy that suits you.
You don’t have to accept pain as part of your life.