Living With Chronic Pain: What Will Help?

Versus Arthritis estimates that around 15.5 million people in the UK are living with chronic pain on a daily basis. And around 12% have what is considered to be high-impact chronic pain that severely impacts their daily activities. 

It’s quite a substantial figure, and regardless of the type of pain or diagnosis, living with pain on a daily basis can wear you down and become increasingly debilitating. 

What exactly is chronic pain? Chronic pain is a persistent or intermittent pain that lasts for longer than three months. The pain can range from a mere discomfort right through to excruciating pains that render you unable to do even the basics of activities. It’s typically defined as low-impact and high-impact pain; low-impact pain is on the lower end of the scale, but typically, most people are able to, at some level, complete some daily functions or manage the pain levels, while those with high-impact chronic pain are unable to do so.

The pain could be caused by an underlying inflammation or by damage to the body’s tissues. Chronic pain can also be from chronic primary pain, which is a condition in its own right; an example of this is fibromyalgia.

And when you’re faced with the relentless onslaught of pain at any level on a daily or near-daily basis, what can you do? And is there anything you can do? While talking to your doctor about pharmaceutical medication and therapies can be a great option for many people, these potentially won’t always help to reduce the pain even slightly, let alone eliminate it.

However, there are some options you can try that might relieve the pain or help you manage to improve your quality of life, even just a small amount. It’s important to note that before trying any new pain management strategies, it’s crucial to consult with a healthcare professional. They can provide personalised advice and ensure that the strategy you’re considering is safe and effective for your specific condition.

Therapy

While chronic pain is not a mental health condition, and it’s not all in a person’s head, it can impact mental health as the mental toll of living in pain and having to reconfigure your life can be immense. The reality is that chronic pain does affect mental health, and the worse your emotional health is, the more likely you are to feel your symptoms worsen.

CBT has been a popular therapy for many people as it can help to reframe negative thoughts around pain and your condition and help you develop coping strategies that can be effective when utilised alongside other treatment plans or therapies. It’s a good idea to look for affordable online therapy with insurance to help you with your mental health concerns relating to chronic pain or other health conditions you might have.

Know Your Limits

Something people with chronic pain often do and say is that when they are having a “good day,” they end up doing too much and then set themselves back due to wanting to do all the things they can when they can.

Chronic means long-term, and you need to be thinking long-term to manage your condition and understand what is going to trigger your pain or make you feel worse. It’s a case of trial and error, and knowing your boundaries and being able to enforce them. But you can use a journal to track your pain, energy levels, feelings, etc. and then look for patterns to help you identify triggers or things that make you feel better. Did you do something different that helps you sleep better one night? Or did food or activity make you feel worse?

Know your body, know your limits. Work within what you have to avoid making life worse than it needs to be.

Stay Active

Now, staying active means different things to different people, and you mustn’t push yourself to make yourself feel worse. But being as active as you can can help your body stay mobile and flexible, which can help reduce or remove the added pain associated with being sedentary. Also, exercise releases endorphins, which make you feel good.

You might only be able to do stretches in bed or yoga twice a week for 15 minutes at home. Others might be able to run or swim and even strength train. Be as active as you can for your body and keep things moving. It might not feel like it, but it can help. You can get outside and get some fresh air at the same time, which boosts the benefits. 

Alternative Therapies

Not all therapies will work for all pain levels, but there is no harm in trying different things to see if they help.

You might have regular physio sessions to help you keep your body moving properly and counteract the impact of pain and stiffness. Acupuncture can be a good option for you to help you remove stress and tension from your body and decrease pain levels. Other options to try can include reflexology, chiropractic care, floatation tanks, massage therapy, herbal medicine, and meditation.

For instance, reflexology involves applying pressure to specific points on the feet, hands, or ears to alleviate pain. Chiropractic care focuses on diagnosing and treating mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, particularly the spine. Floatation tanks provide a unique environment for relaxation and pain relief. Massage therapy can help reduce muscle tension and promote relaxation. Herbal medicine and meditation can also be beneficial. All can be options for you to try to see what, if any, benefits they might offer you and your condition.

Dietary Supplements

Adding dietary supplements to your life can provide some relief. While studies are ongoing for many supplements, there are anecdotal tales that pertain to pain-relieving benefits, boosted mental health, and sleep support. Vitamins and minerals like magnesium, zinc, and B12 can help reduce fatigue and improve sleep, while CBD can potentially offer pain and anxiety relief while improving sleep, too. Glucosamine, turmeric, and chondroitin are often recommended for pain relief.

However, it’s important to note that some supplements may have side effects or interact with other medications, so it’s crucial to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen. 

Sleep

Sleep and pain are closely intertwined, and both will impact the other when things aren’t going well. High pain levels can and will disrupt sleeping quality and patterns, while poor sleep can make mental health and pain levels worse. However, if there is one thing you need to prioritise, it is ensuring you have your sleeping routine in a good place, as this can help you massively.

Everything will feel worse if you’re not sleeping properly, and long-term poor sleep can induce more health problems than you might have now. 

Living with pain every day is exhausting, but consistent self-care, honest conversations with your doctor and a willingness to try new strategies might offer relief. If something hasn’t worked yet, there are always other paths you could explore to improve your comfort and daily life.

How do you help yourself live with chronic pain?

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