Chronic pain can be an extremely debilitating condition and can have a huge impact on someone’s quality of life. Being in constant pain can put a huge strain on you and your relationships with loved ones. You may be unable to undertake simple everyday tasks because your pain is simply too bad.
At CFG Law, we understand the daily struggles of someone with chronic pain. Here are a few tips to help people suffering from chronic pain to ease their discomfort:
- Try doing gentle exercise – everyday activities such as walking, swimming or gardening can ease feelings of pain. It can also help to stretch muscles, ligaments and joints. Increase your activity gradually to avoid heightened levels of pain.
- Take a self-management course – these courses aim to help people to learn coping strategies for living with chronic pain and better manage their condition on a daily basis. These courses are usually available free through the NHS but can be arranged privately.
- Read up on pain advice – reading booklets and leaflets on relieving pain can give you good pointers and self-help tips on alleviating and managing your pain on a day-to-day basis.
- Concentrate on breathing techniques – breathing correctly when you’re in pain can hugely help you. Try to breathe slowly and deeply, so you feel in control of the situation. This will reduce tension in the muscles and stop your pain from worsening.
- Stay in touch with friends and family – friends and family can provide invaluable support to you when you are suffering from a long-term illness. But it can be all too easy to isolate yourself and become withdrawn with your pain. Make sure you keep in regular contact with loved ones, even if it’s just a short visit or a telephone call.
- Find distractions – moving your attention away from your pain and onto something else will mean your pain is not the only thing on your mind. Find a hobby you enjoy and that will stimulate you, taking your mind off your pain.
- Seek counselling – being in pain for a long period of time can cause you to become depressed, anxious or tired. Speaking to a counsellor can help you to deal with your emotions and in turn help you deal with your feelings of pain.
- Share your story – speaking to other people in a similar situation to you can really help. Speaking to someone who truly understands what you’re going through can help you to realise you are not alone and help you to find ways of managing your pain from people who are going through the same as you.
- Try to relax – you can help reduce your pain by regularly practicing relaxation techniques. There are many different techniques that can be employed, including breathing exercises and meditation.
- Rest and get plenty of sleep – get into a regular routine for sleeping and try to stick to a normal sleeping routine. Try to avoid taking naps during the day or getting up late after a bad night’s sleep as this may interfere with your sleep the next night.
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