A persistent pain that lasts for months or even years, is considered chronic. It is a long-standing pain that may appear periodically or continuously and affects people to the point that they cannot work, take part in physical activity, eat properly, or simply enjoy life. There are many causes of chronic pain, and it may start after an injury or illness, or it can be an ongoing cause of pain like cancer or arthritis.
The number of people suffering from chronic pain is continuously increasing since we tend to spend lots of time in front of our computers, which leads to chronic back or neck pain. If you’re experiencing this type of discomfort, make sure you learn about the many ways it can be treated.
Below are a few tips on how you can diminish your chronic pain.
Virtual reality treatments
The modern world calls for modern solutions. One of the most progressive solutions to managing chronic pain has been the use of virtual reality. Virtual reality pain relief treatments are becoming an effective new tool to decrease chronic pain in drug-free, personalized therapy sessions from the comfort of your home. This has made it especially easier for people who have trouble getting out of the house because of pain.
There are many benefits of using VR therapy including one-on-one appointments with licensed physical therapists, using one of the most promising technological advances in modern history. In addition, you can track your progress and chat with your therapist, without having to commute. This could reduce your pain levels, resulting in a decreased dependence on medication or other pain relievers, and allowing you to get back to doing the things you love.
Exercise
Physical activity can greatly help deal with your chronic pain. For example, people dealing with chronic back and neck pain can benefit from stretching their stiff and tense muscles, joints, and ligaments, each morning. This helps relax the muscles as well as their mind. Doing yoga is also a great way of healthily managing your ongoing pain. Everyday activities like walking, running, swimming, gardening or dancing can ease some of the pain by blocking pain signals to the brain.
It’s normal to feel hesitant about doing exercise since you might think it might do more damage than good. However, if you’re becoming more active gradually, it would be unlikely you’ll cause any damage. Just remember, start a gentle exercise. In the long term, the benefits of exercising will outweigh any increase in pain. Try to reduce time spent sitting or lying down by doing some activity from time to time.
Relaxation techniques
Deep breathing and meditation promote relaxation, which can successfully ease the pain. These relaxation techniques can also help you reduce the need for pain medication. Deep breathing, for example, is very easy since you can do it anywhere. Simply get into a comfortable position, fill your abdomen with air, and then slowly let it out. This will help you relax and even reduce stress. Note that stress intensifies chronic pain, so finding healthy ways to reduce mental and physical pressure is important.
There are many ways to meditate, but the soothing power of repetition is among the best. Focus on breathing, ignore your pressing thoughts, and repeat a word or phrase (a mantra), which will cause the body to relax. Blocking distracting thoughts is important for both meditation and deep breathing. Just focus on the now and let your mind be free.
Eat healthily
A healthy diet is important in many ways including reducing heart disease risk, aiding your digestive process, improving your blood sugar levels, and keeping weight under control. Try to eat a low-fat, and low-sodium diet, such as fruits and veggies, low-fat cheese, yogurt, and milk, lean meats, beans and peas, and whole-grain bread and cereals.
For example, omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish like salmon may be very beneficial for inflammatory pain conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Also, anti-inflammatory compounds like ALA (alpha-lipoic acid), found in foods like spinach and broccoli, can help ease the pain from diabetic neuropathy. Depending on your pain condition, ask your doctor to help you find an appropriate diet for your pain condition.
Final thoughts
Focusing on pain can make it worse, so instead, you can find something you like that will keep you busy and set your mind on other things. Using distractions to reduce chronic pain is one of the most successful techniques, and this includes VR therapy. Just remember, your brain can only focus its attention in so many areas at once, meaning pain sensations compete with all of the other things going on around you.
Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.
