Living a High-Quality Life with Chronic Pain

PUBLISHED ON:

October 20, 2021

Chronic pain adversely affects the quality of life and your ability to engage in daily activities. It also has repercussions on your family life, work environment, and social life. Besides, chronic pain services are detrimental to your health.

Research shows that the ability to live a meaningful life with CP depends on you taking a leading role in your life. Assistance from healthcare professionals only comes in to create a balance during changing circumstances.

With this in mind, here are some tips to get you started on making your life more high-quality life despite living in chronic pain.

Living a High-Quality Life with Pain

Developing Some Coping Mechanisms

You probably get a grim picture when you think of living with chronic pain. However, the reality is that you can continue to enjoy a happy, healthy, and productive life. Consider:

  • Learning deep breathing mechanisms or meditation to help you relax
  • Reducing stressful situations in your life
  • Cutting back on alcohol and smoking, which can make the problem worse
  • Joining a support group
  • Learning biofeedback to decrease tension, headache and migraine

Exercise

It’s not a good idea to allow yourself to get lost in chronic pain, but instead, use it to your benefit. When you are in pain, leading a sedentary life can make the pain worse. Talk to your healthcare provider or therapist about a safe exercise program that suits your condition.

The program should match your current fitness level and take into account your diagnosis.

Exercise doesn’t have to be in the gym. You can do it from home with streaming videos, or you can join a rehabilitative exercise program in your area. Exercise has a pain-reducing effect because the brain releases some chemicals to block pain signals.

Get the Right Medication

You may need to try different medications for chronic pain before you find the best fit. It may initially be frustrating to try various prescriptions, but sampling may ultimately lead you to a remedy that effectively helps you manage pain.

If you are worried about being on medication for the rest of your life, talk to your physician about it. They will help you weigh the benefits against the cons and help you overcome the fear. Besides, you will realize that most pain medications are safe and effective when taken correctly.

Try Complementary Treatments

Together with getting the proper medication, you may also want to try alternative medicine as a powerful tool for helping you cope with chronic pain. Common alternatives include:

  • Acupuncture
  • Magnetic therapy
  • Massage therapy
  • Herbal medicine
  • Cupping
  • Mindfulness

It can be challenging to manage chronic pain all alone. If you would like more professional help managing chronic pain for a more meaningful life, fill this form to request an appointment with pain management specialists at Southeast Pain and Spine Care.

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