Pain is a feeling that we primally fear as humans—It’s an instinct embedded within us from the day we’re born to do anything within our power to avoid it for our own protection.
We are consumed by the jittery feeling of anxiety as the suddenly scary nurse edges closer and closer, long, shiny, menacing needle in hand.
We are filled with rage, audibly angry the second that our knee smashes into the sharp corner of that stupid coffee table that shouldn’t be there anyway.
We grit our teeth, wince in pain, and desperately massage our temples when we feel the tortuous throbbing of a particularly painful headache coming on.
We squeeze our eyes shut, clench our fists, and brace ourselves, counting each agonizing second that drags on and praying that the pain will be over as quickly as it started.
These distressing feelings, emotions, and physical sensations are just an everyday experience for people suffering from chronic pain.
With an estimated 10 percent of the world’s population, or approximately 770 million people, who live with chronic pain globally, unfortunately, pain is not a foreign feeling for many.
Read on to learn how you and your loved ones can combat the daily battle of chronic pain with these powerful pain management tips and tactics.
The Definition of Chronic Pain—What is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is a type of pain that persists for an extended period, beyond the normal time it takes for an injury or illness to heal.
Unlike acute pain, which serves as a warning signal and usually resolves when the underlying cause is treated, chronic pain persists even after the initial injury or condition has healed and can be extremely complicated.
Doctors typically differentiate acute pain from chronic pain when the pain lasts for three months or longer, even after administering treatment and medication.
Causes of Chronic Pain
Many health conditions or complications can cause chronic pain, such as:
- Arthritis and other joint problems
- Back pain
- Headaches
- Muscle strains and sprains
- Spinal cord injuries
- Stroke
- Repetitive stress injuries, when the same movement over and over puts strain on a body part
- Fibromyalgia, a condition that causes muscle pain throughout the body
- Nerve damage
- Shingles
- A miscommunication between the brain and nervous system
- Autoimmune conditions
- Diabetic neuropathy
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Lyme disease
- Broken bones
- Cancer
- Sickle cell anemia
- Acid reflux or ulcers
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Endometriosis, when tissue in the uterus grows outside of it
- Traumatic surgery
What is Chronic Pain Syndrome?
Chronic pain syndrome is when chronic pain evolves into more than just physical pain.
Naturally, enduring the suffering of pain day after day can start to negatively affect not only your physical health but also your overall emotional health and well-being.
Beyond experiencing physical pain, people with chronic pain syndrome will also develop psychological symptoms such as emotional distress, depression, and anxiety that can significantly negatively impact their daily lives.
However, unfortunately, psychological distress often exacerbates the experience of pain, which often traps the person in a self-perpetuating cycle where pain leads to emotional distress and emotional distress worsens the pain, creating a monstrous, vicious feedback loop.
In fact, people with chronic pain syndrome may even experience heightened pain sensitivity, meaning that they may perceive pain more intensely than others. This heightened sensitivity of pain is often referred to as central sensitization.
Consequently, chronic pain syndrome is often likely to interfere with daily activities, restrict mobility, sabotage work, and damage relationships.
Pain-Killing Knacks You Need to Know When Suffering from Chronic Pain
1. Hone Healthy Habits—Take Care of Your Health as a Whole
Your health is like a puzzle.
You can have one section of the puzzle perfectly put together, but if another section of the puzzle is still scattered in a neglected pile of pieces shoved off to the side, the overall puzzle is still not complete.
While you may not be able to control whether all of the puzzle pieces were included in the box you were given, you can still do the best with what you do have, working diligently to assemble as much of the puzzle as you possibly can.
You can’t control the fact that you are forced to face the challenge of chronic pain.
However, you can still do the best you can with the pieces of your health that you do have control over such as diet, exercise, the amount of sleep you are getting every night, proper hydration, etc.
Setting up your body for optimal success by providing it with the proper nutrition, exercise, endorphins, water, and rest that it needs to feel its best can help diminish the levels of pain that you experience.
On that same note, neglecting all of the other aspects of your health by eating poorly, being sedentary, not getting enough sleep, and staying dehydrated will only amplify the levels of pain that you experience.
2. Get Help from Healthcare Professionals—Develop a Personalized Treatment Plan Together
No one knows more about treating chronic pain than professionals.
This is why it is so important that you seek help from healthcare professionals, doctors, pain specialists, and chronic pain experts, as they have access to only the best medical resources, are familiar with your condition and able to discuss your needs with you, and are knowledgeable enough to provide you with a personalized treatment plan that is best for you.
Furthermore, these professionals can also set you up for success by prescribing you pain medication, equipping you with valuable knowledge and advice about your personal chronic pain condition that can help you prepare for future flare-ups, as well as better understand how to navigate everyday life.
Remember to always follow your healthcare provider's advice regarding pain medications. It's crucial to take them as prescribed, avoid self-medicating, and be aware of potential side effects or interactions.
3. Know Your Triggers—Keep a Personal Pain Journal of Your Triggers and Try to Avoid Them
Just as it is helpful to be educated on your personal chronic pain condition and symptoms, as well as prepared for future flare-ups, it is equally important to be aware of the things that trigger your pain.
Keeping a pain journal can serve as a very useful tool in helping you identify these triggers.
Keep a record of your pain levels, activities, and any triggers to help identify patterns and adjust your pain management plan accordingly.
For example, some common chronic pain triggers included:
- Changes in the weather and air pressure
- Cold weather
- Increased emotional stress
- Dehydration
- Physical overexertion
- Overuse of pain medications
- Specific movements or positions
- Prolonged sitting or standing
- Lack of sleep
- Consuming certain foods and drinks
- Hormonal changes
Once you start to become aware of your triggers, you can better avoid them and prevent chronic pain flare-ups in the future.
4. From the Inside Out—Look into Massage, Physical, and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy
When living with chronic pain, it is vital that you take care of yourself from the inside out.
This is why it is worthwhile to look into an array of therapy options, both physical and mental, as these are rewarding resources that can significantly help relieve or lower pain levels for many suffering from chronic pain.
Physically, one option to consider is massage therapy. Massage therapy alleviates muscle tension, promotes relaxation, and can also help improve blood circulation and reduce stress.
Another physical option to consider that can drastically improve your symptoms would be physical therapy. Working with a physical therapist can provide you with specific exercises and techniques you can use to manage pain, improve function, and prevent further issues.
While dealing with chronic pain undoubtedly involves significant physical pain, people tend to forget that it is just as emotionally and mentally taxing to live with.
If chronic pain is causing significant emotional distress, which it often does, seeking counselling or therapy can provide valuable support and coping strategies to manage your mental health.
An example of this is cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), a form of therapy that can help you develop coping strategies and change negative thought patterns related to pain.
5. Live, Laugh, and Love—Divert Attention Away from Pain with Distractions
Engaging in activities that you enjoy, smiling and laughing, spending time with loved ones, and pursuing your passions and hobbies are the pleasures of life that everyone deserves to experience, regardless of who you are, where you come from, or what you look like.
This not only also applies to people living with the strenuous condition of chronic pain, but it is actually even more important that people who suffer from chronic pain allow themselves to experience these life pleasures, as they also serve as a form of treatment that helps alleviate pain.
For example, spending time with positive loved ones and friends who make you feel happy or engaging in activities that make you laugh help release endorphins, which are natural painkillers.
Social connections also provide much-needed emotional support during difficult times and while experiencing negative feelings that can often consume us when we’re alone.
Beyond the science of endorphins, distractions are also effective at helping take your mind off the pain and reduce its perceived intensity.
Engaging in activities that require your full attention and focus such as reading, listening to music, solving complicated puzzles, sewing, watching a show, and playing games are all good ways of redirecting your attention to other experiences besides pain.
6. You’re Not Alone—Seek a Support System of Friends and Loved Ones
Pain that persists day after day can become emotionally and physically overwhelming and exhausting, even for the strongest of warriors in the ongoing battle of chronic pain.
You don’t have to carry your pain alone, suffering in silence or solitude. Talking about your pain and emotions can be helpful and reduce feelings of isolation.
Surrounding yourself with a supportive network of friends and family can help lift some of this crushing, chronic pain weight from your shoulders.
Another constructive option to consider is joining support groups or online communities where you can communicate with people who suffer from chronic pain who really understand what you’re going through, share experiences, learn from others, and find encouragement and understanding.
No matter how you choose to cope with your chronic pain, just know that you’re not alone.