Chronic pain is an unending ache that can feel like you’ll never get a break from it. If you have chronic pain, it can become a part of your everyday life and make even the most minor tasks difficult. This can limit what you can do and want to do at home. However, with some planning and preparation, you can continue to live independently while easing your chronic pain at home. Below are five tips for reducing your chronic pain at home.
Stretch and move regularly
While you should avoid activities that worsen your pain, you should also avoid being inactive. Regular exercise can help ease chronic pain by improving overall health and quality of life. It can also help improve mood and sleep while reducing stress and anxiety. Although the type of exercise best for people with chronic pain varies, most find that gentle stretching and aerobic exercise are best. If you have back pain, swimming can be a great exercise, providing a low-impact, whole-body workout that doesn’t strain your back. Swimming is also an aerobic exercise that burns calories and increases your heart rate, all while providing a low-impact workout for people with chronic pain. If you have joint pain, low-impact activities like walking, cycling, and water aerobics can ease pain and improve strength.
Use heat and cold therapy.
Heat and cold therapy can help ease pain and stiffness while improving your range of motion. Heat therapy can help increase circulation and reduce inflammation and pain by relaxing your muscles. It can also help improve your range of motion by loosening up your joints and soft tissues. Cold therapy can improve your circulation as well as reduce swelling and pain. Heat therapy can help reduce the pain of muscle spasms by loosening up your muscles in people with fibromyalgia. It can also help improve your sleep and mood while easing your anxiety. Cold therapy can improve sleep and mood while reducing pain and anxiety. Some people also choose to use a Tens Machine. They have been a proven way f managing pain. Some women even use them during labor.
Include anti-inflammatory foods in your diet
Certain foods can help ease chronic pain by reducing inflammation in your body. These foods include turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and omega-3 fatty acids in fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel. Turmeric, commonly used in Indian dishes, has been shown to ease inflammation and reduce pain in arthritis patients. Ginger is another powerful anti-inflammatory food that can relieve menstrual pain, arthritis pain, and even headaches. Black pepper contains a compound called piperine that increases the absorption of turmeric, making these two ingredients a powerful team against chronic pain.
Try Acupressure mats
Acupressure mats are designed to ease chronic pain by applying targeted pressure to specific body areas. The mats contain small plastic spikes that encourage blood flow to the site to reduce and ease the pain. These mats can temporarily relieve people with chronic pain and improve their mood.
Over-the-counter medications and remedies
For people with chronic pain, over-the-counter medications can be helpful for short-term pain relief. These include acetaminophen, NSAIDs, cannabis from HarvestHOC, and opioids. Acetaminophen can help ease chronic pain from arthritis, headaches, and menstrual pain. NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen can help reduce joint pain and inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and gout. Opioids like prescription fentanyl, oxycodone, and morphine can help ease chronic pain from conditions like cancer pain, arthritic pain, and neuropathic pain. While these medications can relieve your pain, they can also lead to side effects.
Conclusion
Chronic pain is an unending ache that can feel like you’ll never get a break from it. While you should avoid activities that worsen your pain, you should also avoid being inactive. While these tips can ease your chronic pain, they’re also essential to help prevent long-term pain and damage.
