How To Beat Chronic Pain

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Chronic pain is defined as any pain that lasts more than 12 weeks despite medication or treatment. This could include migraines, joint pain, back pain or stomach pain. Some chronic pain is incurable, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be reduced. By fighting back against such pain, you could make it more tolerable and make it easier to live a normal life again. 

Here are just several ways to strike back against chronic pain.

Talk to a medical specialist
Seeing a medical specialist could help you to identify ways of reducing the pain. The likes of stomach pain and migraines may be triggered by certain foods or activities, which a specialist may be able to help you pinpoint. There may even be procedures that you can carry out to reduce pain that only a specialist may be able to recommend. For instance, a back surgeon may be able to carry out spinal treatment to help relieve back pain. Your local doctor may be able to recommend someone or you may be able to find a specialist yourself by researching online.   

Try acupuncture
Acupuncture is an alternative form of treatment that many people with chronic pain find to be effective. It involves targeting pressure points and nerve endings with tiny needles. Acupuncture should always be carried out by a qualified professional.

Try herbal medicine
Prescribed and over-the-counter medicines are always worth trying, but if you need a supplement or want a break from these drugs it’s also worth trying herbal remedies. These could take the form of pills, powders or ointments. The likes of turmeric are very popular and even have some scientific backing. A lot of people have also turned to CBD in recent times for help with this. Remedy Review says that the length of time CBD stays in your system depends on how you’ve consumed it. So, you should definitely read up on this thoroughly before going down this route.

Destress
Stress is known to be a popular trigger for many forms of chronic pain. Taking steps to reduce stress in your life could also help to reduce pain. There are lots of ways to destress including meditating, listening to music, laughing and exercising.

Stay active
Physical activity is very important for combating chronic pain – and not just because it can be an effective form of stress relief. Endorphins released during exercise can also directly relieve pain, whilst physical activity can loosen muscles and reduce stiffness. Sufferers of chronic pain are often best off sticking to low impact exercises that are less likely to aggravate existing medical conditions. These include swimming, walking and yoga.

Quit unhealthy habits
Many unhealthy habits are triggers of chronic pain. Smoking can often aggravate pain by raising cortisol levels (much like stress). Overconsumption of sugar can increase inflammation. Heavy drinking meanwhile can lead to dehydration, making pain worse. Quitting these unhealthy habits could help to reduce pain, whilst also improving your general health. Even if you’re unable to give up such habits, you may still be able to see a notable difference simply by reducing your intake. 

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By Iconic Chica Mag Contributors