If you’ve experienced chronic pain, you’ve likely found yourself desperately seeking ways to manage it and get through it. People take many avenues to avoid and handle pain, whether they distract themselves, self-medicate or devote themselves to alleviating symptoms.
While the cause of chronic pain may be inescapable (such as a genetic disease), there are some ways to lessen the effects. In this article, we’ll talk about the pros of pain management and how to relieve pain without turning to substances.
What is pain management and how will it help me?
When you hear the phrase “chronic pain,” people are generally talking about a long-term condition (that lasts a minimum of three months). Generally, it will cause discomfort a majority of the time and disrupt daily living.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that about 20.4 percent of adults in the United States had experienced chronic pain in 2019. The CDC also states that chronic pain is associated with poorer quality of life, increased opioid use and unfavorable mental health outcomes.
Pain management is the practice of addressing chronic pain by understanding its origins, alleviating symptoms and working to cure the source of the discomfort. Learning how to manage pain without resorting to substance abuse can help you live a happy and free life.
How can I manage chronic pain?
There are plenty of avenues for how to relieve pain, and different tools will work better for some than for others. This list is not meant as a substitute for personalized medical advice from your care team, but simply a list of supplementary recommendations.
Here are some strategies to try, with your doctor’s approval:
Get active and stay active
Finding exercises appropriate for your ability is one of the best things you can do when you’re figuring out how to manage chronic pain. According to the Harvard Medical School, regular exercise provides the following benefits:
- Decreases the onset of conditions like heart disease, diabetes and cancer
- Decreases the risk of depression
- Improves sleep
- Assists in weight management
- Improves mood
- Decreases stress
- Improves mental and physical functioning
When you get active on a daily basis you’re investing in your mental, physical and emotional health. Exercise won’t necessarily cure chronic pain, but it will help you manage it. When you have a routine that works for you, you’ll surely feel better in your body than you did before.
Engage in spiritual practices
When people are in pain, they often search for a reason why the pain exists and its purpose in their lives. This often guides people to start or deepen their spiritual practices, which can offer meaning and relief during the toughest days. If you practice a faith this is a great opportunity to dive in and find healing.
Read
Reading a good book can provide a welcome distraction and an escape into a new world. Reading offers the same pleasant distraction from pain as television, but you’ll boost your confidence when you finish a volume and it’s easier on your eyes.
Try massage or physical therapy
Some chronic pain can be alleviated with physical interventions such as massage or physical therapy. These interventions can reduce pain and aren’t invasive (like a surgical procedure or taking medication). You can also find relief through acupuncture, hot and cold therapy, stretching and more.
Cultivate excitement about the future
When you’re dealing with chronic pain, your outlook about the future can feel bleak. That’s why you’ll want to plan events you can look forward to. Whether you schedule brunches with your best friends, a romantic trip with your spouse or plan to participate in a weekly hobby, scheduling fun things can help you move through the pain.
Spend time with loved ones
You’ve heard it said that laughter is the best medicine, and while that’s empirically debatable, there’s no denying there’s truth behind it. Spending time with friends and family is a welcome distraction for many who are figuring out how to manage pain.
Professional pain management
If you’ve been caught in the trap of opioid dependence you can find the pain management help you need at Bluff. Healing or decreasing chronic pain requires treating the source of the pain and the addiction. Bluff offers specialized programming that integrates both so you can find freedom from pain.
At Bluff, you’ll meet with a medical provider almost every day and benefit from the expertise of professionals who also understand substance use disorders. Moreover, your treatment team will also include a psychiatric provider, nurse, and therapist or counselor for whole-person healing.
Pain management for you
Everyone finds pain relief in different places. Sadly, the lure of opioids for pain management is all too real. If you’ve stumbled into an opioid dependence in your efforts to escape chronic pain, Bluff can help.
Earn treatment catered to your individual situation. Schedule your appointment today to take definitive steps toward healthy, effective pain management.