7 Expert-Approved Tips for Managing Chronic Pain : Did you know that approximately 100 million people in the US live with some sort of chronic pain? Even worse, nearly 10% of Americans state that they experienced chronic pain on a daily basis for more than 3 months in a row.
Chronic pain is not something you can easily deal with, whether it affects your neck, shoulders, lower back or legs. A painful body decreases your quality of life and predisposes you to more complicated diseases.
You should learn techniques for managing chronic pain so that you can prevent surgery or other types of invasive treatments. Luckily, the more you learn about chronic pain, the easier it will be for you to treat it, so keep reading to find out how to fix this health issue.
The Best Ways to Managing Chronic Pain in 2019
Chronic pain can be caused by various factors. A sedentary lifestyle is usually the main culprit and it can cause chronic pain over several years. Chronic pain can also be the result of an accident or injury. In any case, the following methods will eventually help you alleviate chronic pain.
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Go for a Massage
Various massaging techniques have been developed to treat different types of pains in the body. Why would massage work? Simply because it will improve the blood circulation in the affected body area and reduce the pressure on muscles and nerves. Pain develops when not enough oxygen and nutrients are reaching certain areas of the body and a good massage can fix that.
There are different types of massages you can try. For serious pains, you can go for deep tissue massage from a professional massage therapist. This type of massage is intended to reach the deeper layers of tissue and muscles. Pains can be alleviated in a matter of days or weeks, depending on the severity of your problem.
If you don’t have much experience with different massaging techniques, you can always visit a chiropractor and take advantage of his services. Chiropractors train to target certain muscle and nerve groups, alleviating chronic pain from different parts of the body quickly and simply.
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Take a Hot Bath
Warm water can also work wonders for the body parts affected by pain. That’s because hot water tends to dilate the vessels and arteries, so more blood can flow through. The blood carries oxygen and nutrients to various tissues and muscles, so your pain can be temporarily alleviated by a hot bath.
You can also experiment with different types of salts in your bath water such as Epsom salt. This type of salt contains magnesium which is absorbed by your skin. Magnesium tends to relax the muscles and nerves, so you will not feel chronic pain when you get out of your bathtub.
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Engage in Physical Exercise
Chronic pain might also be caused by muscles which haven’t been used in a while. If you have a 9 to 5 job and you sit on a chair most of the time, it’s normal for your muscles to become weaker and weaker. This can cause different types of pains in your body, particularly your legs, lower back, and neck.
The solution to this problem? It’s simple – move more! If you feel like going to the gym is a little bit intimidating for you, try to work out at home. There are different types of calisthenic exercises you can try such as squats, push-ups, lunges, sit-ups, etc. You can find plenty of tutorials from certified trainers on YouTube videos, so you’re not alone on this journey.
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Do Yoga
In a similar fashion, yoga provides additional benefits to your body, especially if you experience chronic pain on a regular basis. Yoga is a type of exercise which balances the nervous system, lengthens and strengthens the muscles while improving joint mobility. It doesn’t only make you more flexible, it will help you clear your mind and become more confident.
Yoga also focuses on stimulating the lymphatic system. If you didn’t already know, this system helps to eliminate toxins in your body. While doing yoga, endorphins are released which ameliorate chronic pains and help you achieve a more flexible and healthy body.
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Do Breathing Exercises
Some people state that they have reduced their chronic pains through meditation and breathing exercises. These techniques help you focus on something else rather than your pain and bring more oxygen to the body. As a result, your muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments will feel much lighter and rejuvenated, so try doing 15 minutes of breathing exercises or meditation each day and see how you feel.
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Improve Range of Motion
Chronic pain can also be caused by a limited range of motion in certain limbs or body areas. For example, if you look at a computer for 8 hours a day, you might have a stiff neck. This leads to chronic pain and limited range of motion. To fix that, make a habit to move your head and neck around for a couple of minutes each day.
Exercises focused on improving range of motion allow your muscles to contract and relax. This is beneficial because more blood is circulating through various body parts. You can do range of motion exercises for nearly all areas of your body. If you have chronic back pain, try to move your spine in different directions for a few minutes each day.
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Listen to Classical Music
Believe it or not, this type of music can actually alleviate chronic pain. First of all, it gives you something to focus on other than your constant pain and secondly, good music tends to make your brain release endorphins which relax your entire body. No wonder why orchestra conductors live more than most other people!
What’s Your Preferred Method?
As you can see, managing chronic pain is not that difficult if you have a couple of aces in your sleeve. The secret is to be constant with your routine to enjoy the benefits for the rest of your life.
If you liked this article, don’t hesitate to check out our other posts in the health and wellness category. You’ll learn more about your body, how it works, and how to improve your health!
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