Although pain’s primary purpose is to send our body signals when there’s a problem, sometimes it can overstay its welcome. When this happens, doctors refer to it as chronic pain. This is something that countless mothers nationwide have to deal with, so know you’re not alone if you’re trying to cope with this condition. To help you through this, here are some noninvasive ways to manage chronic pain.
Hot and Cold Packs
For specific injuries or types of pain, using hot and cold packs is one of the best ways to find relief. Hot and cold packs work in opposite ways, but they both treat pain. When you experience sharp, intense flashes of pain, ice can restrict blood flow to that area so that you don’t feel as much pain. On the contrary, heat works by increasing blood flow to a given area to relax your muscles and repair damaged tissue.
You can make hot and cold packs at home, but if they aren’t working, ask your doctor to recommend one to manage your pain more effectively.
Mindfulness Techniques
Your physical health can affect your mental health, but the converse is also true. In fact, when you employ techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, and breathing exercise, it helps you focus on calming your body down when you’re experiencing pain. Mastering control of these techniques allows your body to inhibit the fight-or-flight response, which is an impulse that helped humans evolve when predators were nearby. Unfortunately, when our fight-or-flight response is functioning when it shouldn’t be, it can cause tension in our muscles and lead to chronic pain. Luckily, mindfulness is another time-tested method that offers our bodies some benefits.
Massages
Massage therapy not only makes us feel good but also provides long-lasting relief from chronic pain. Massages can help you deal with pain by reducing tension in your joints and muscles. This relaxing sensation can distract your brain and override incoming pain signals, so it offers relief while keeping future problems at bay.
Massages can also lower anxiety and stress levels, which is one of the ways massages can help with autoimmune disease. Purchasing a massage chair for your home will be cheaper in the long run than going to a masseuse, but it will require more upfront costs if you have budgetary concerns.
Overall, chronic pain can make routine life tasks feel unbearable. However, if you harness the power of these noninvasive ways to manage chronic pain, you can take back your life and start living pain free once again.
Author Bio
Christina Duron is a writer living in the Chicagoland area. Her passion for writing and mental health help create thought provoking and engaging pieces and hopes to use them to empower mothers and women to embrace the beauty of motherhood.
