This is a guide for anyone who suffers chronic pain, or persistent pains and discomfort. You might find that traditional painkillers are not cutting it and you need a supplementary way to manage your pain. Well, you have come to the right place. We will list eight alternative ways of managing your pain that you can use in conjunction with the medical advice you have been given by a doctor. Take matters into your own hands and try to make your day-to-day pain more manageable. Let’s dive into our top tips for alleviating pain in the body!
1. Cannabis
One of the best ways to self-medicate daily pain is to use cannabis to alleviate the symptoms. Chronic pain and cramps can be managed to great effect with the animal mints strain, a potent and refreshing strain of weed. This particular option is high in THC, so only use it if you have a bit of a tolerance built up. You can research less potent options if you are a first-time user and start with something more appropriate for your needs.
Remember to buy your cannabis from a trusted and reliable supplier. You can read online reviews of companies or contact their customer support if you need reassurance or help with choosing your strain.
2. Light Exercise
Another great way to deal with chronic pain is to keep your body moving. This does not mean you need to go on five-mile runs or climb a mountain, but a bit of light exercise every day will go a long way. Try taking a short walk, swimming, completing light housework, or even doing some chair yoga, if your mobility is limited.
Keeping your body moving and stretching can ease off some of the stiffness and aching that builds up in your joints and muscles. Remember not to overdo it on your good days, as this could lead to extra pain and tiredness on your bad days.
3. Yoga
Yoga is a particularly great activity for people with persistent pain. Not only does yoga stretch out the tightness in your body and strengthen the muscles around joints, but it also allows you to relax and get in touch with yourself on a deeper level. Doing yoga allows you to feel each individual area of your body and pay attention to what hurts, what needs to be loosened up, and where you hold tension.
You can join yoga classes or follow online instruction videos that are free to use. As with the other forms of exercise you may be doing, do not push yourself too hard with yoga. You should never leave a yoga session with an injury.
4. Breathing Techniques
If you are trying out yoga or you are interested in meditation, you might be aware of the benefits of learning how to breathe more deeply and slowly. You can center your mind and body and exhale a lot of tension through breathing techniques.
Try inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds, and then exhaling for eight seconds. Try repeating this 4-7-8 breathing technique a few times, until you feel your body relaxing and unclenching. This is a great method for reducing anxiety, and often a more relaxed mind leads to a less tense body.
5. Physical Therapy
To deal with specific areas of joint or muscle pain in the body, you can also hire the expert help of a physical therapist. These professionals are trained to locate the source of pain in the body and alleviate the discomfort through massage and exercises.
A physical therapist will have in-depth knowledge of various conditions that can lead to persistent pains, such as arthritis, and know how to help. They should also be able to identify which parts of the body are aching, be it the joints, muscles, nerves, or ligaments, for instance. It may be that they can help to diagnose you or refer you to a medic to diagnose a condition, like bursitis.
6. Eat Well
You can also be kind to your body by filling it with the right nutrients and number of calories to allow it to heal and stay strong. There are various superfoods that you can add to your diet, all of which boast different benefits. For instance, avocados are a great source of folate, which can help to alleviate feelings of fatigue or weakness.
Remember that when it comes to pain, proteins are your friend. They are essential for growth and repair in your body. You also need plenty of vitamins A, C, and E, which all help to reduce inflammation in the body. So make sure to get your fruits and vegetables in!
7. Join a Community
On top of any or all of the above methods for managing everyday pain in the body is to join a community online or in-person of people going through similar issues. It can be isolating and frustrating dealing with pain every day and not having someone around who understands the problem fully. Your friends and family can support and listen to you, but they might not be able to relate to your problems.
There are online forums for sufferers of chronic pain and there may even be some in-person groups near you that meet to discuss ways of coping. You should reach out online to find people who can help you deal with your persistent pains and really understand you.
8. Keep Busy
Lastly, a great coping method for any kind of pain, discomfort, or frustration is to keep busy. The more time you spend in your days thinking about the issue and not using your mind for other tasks, the more your life will be taken over by the problem. Distract yourself and try to focus on your hobbies instead. Positive activities and things that give you joy should be the main focus of your free time.
Hopefully, this guide to handling pain on a daily basis has helped you to come up with new ways to manage your chronic pain. It can be very challenging to feel pain and discomfort regularly, and traditional painkillers might not be enough. So, you can try other means of managing, such as smoking cannabis, doing exercise, like yoga or swimming, breathing mindfully, or having physical therapy. You might also consider changing up your diet to include more superfoods or joining an online community of people similar to you. Lastly, you should keep your mind busy with other things so you do not spend too long pondering your pain.
