Anyone who has chronic pain knows how tempting it can be to reach out for pain relief drugs when the discomfort becomes too much. However, doing so isn’t advisable since you’ll end up building tolerance to medications, needing higher doses more and more, and eventually developing dependence and addiction. Relying too much on pain relievers also means that you’ll experience side effects and even adverse effects and that you’ll essentially be putting your health at risk.
So, instead of managing your pain using medications, you’ll want to look for alternatives that will reduce your pain levels without exposing you to further health issues. We’ve listed a few examples below:
Improve your diet
Inflammation is a natural response of your body to agents that threaten to damage the immune system. However, long-term inflammation isn’t good since it can activate processes that lead to the excessive production of chemicals like histamines, prostaglandins, and bradykinins. These, in turn, stimulate the nerve fibres that deliver pain messages to your brain and cause you to be more sensitive to pain.
So, if you have chronic pain, you’ll want to avoid foods that cause inflammation. These include red meat, processed meat, deep-fried foods, white bread and pasta, and commercial baked goods. You should also avoid lard, margarine, and shortening along with foods and beverages that are high in sugar.
Incorporate gentle exercises into your routine
Moving can be difficult if you’re experiencing high levels of pain, but this doesn’t mean that you should stop exercising. In fact, it’s recommended to continue moving your body and exercising safely so that your muscles and joints will stay functional and healthy. The key is to focus on gentle activities that will help you get enough exercise but won’t cause pain flare-ups. These include yoga, tai chi, and swimming.
Work with a physiotherapist
Aside from exercising regularly, you’ll also want to visit a professional physiotherapist and find out if they can help you manage your pain levels. Physiotherapy uses tried-and-tested methods like manual therapy and exercise therapy to relieve tension in the joints, muscles, and tendons. It also disrupts pain messages between the central nervous system and the rest of the body, essentially closing the “pain gate” in the brain and providing you with much-needed relief.
Consider medical marijuana
Researchers have proven that the active ingredients in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, reduce the frequency of symptoms and the sensory nervous system’s ability. Because of this, medical cannabis is now prescribed for patients who are dealing with chronic pain, headaches, migraines, and cancer, among others. Ask your physician if the type of pain you experience can be alleviated with medical marijuana; if the answer is yes, bring your prescription to a trusted medical cannabis dispensary to ensure that you’ll receive high-quality products.
Learn how to properly relax
Your body’s instinctive response to pain is to seize up. So, if you’re dealing with chronic pain, you need to know how to relax your body and reduce the stress and anxiety that you feel. Start by learning diaphragmatic breathing techniques, which allow you to breathe through waves of pain and ensure that your body still receives enough oxygen. Progressive muscle relaxation, comfort therapy, and mindfulness meditation can also help reduce pain.
Dealing with chronic pain is one of the toughest challenges that anyone can face, and it becomes even more difficult if you manage it using pharmacological means. Fortunately, by using the tips above, you can keep your pain at manageable levels and live a more meaningful life—without relying too much on pain relief medications.