If you or a loved one is living with chronic pain it can be very difficult to cope with. Here are five tips to help manage your chronic pain and put you on the road to recovery.

Knowledge

It is important to understand your body’s pain systems and how they can function for us or against us. The sensation of pain usually means that there is bodily damage, and our natural response is to stop moving and temporarily decrease the pain. However, when someone experiences chronic pain (long term) it’s not uncommon to take pain avoidance measures by restricting movement or activity. This may lead to a cycle of reduced function. The problem is that this inactivity often leads to increased pain levels.

When dealing with chronic pain it is essential to understand that “hurt does not mean harm.” The feeling of pain is amplified and is not a result of actual damage. The first step is to realize that it is okay to move and feel some discomfort. By slowly increasing movement, you start to recognize that your body can tolerate much more movement than you thought. This can start a positive cycle of more activity and increased confidence with movement.

Stress Management & Calming

The natural reaction of the body to pain is to be in a state of physiological stress. When your body is constantly in a state of “stress” it can be damaging, so it is essential to learn how to calm the body down.

To help break the cycle of chronic pain, it is important to find stress management strategies that work for you. You may consider learning calming techniques for when your pain feels worse or start a meditation practice to help manage stress and anxiety. Something as simple as deep breathing can be an incredibly useful skill – take a deep breath and fill up your belly, feel your heart rate start to decrease. Stress management is different to each person, so you need to establish what works for you. There is no “right” method, so this may mean trying a few different things before you establish what works.

Movement

It can be scary to move when you are in pain, but it can also increase your pain if you aren’t moving enough! We need enough movement for our body to adapt and get stronger. And exercise is a great tool to increase the body’s natural endorphins to help reduce the stress/pain response.

With movement it is important to pace yourself. Start with small levels of activity and notice how you feel during, a few hours after, and the next day. Maybe you used to exercise for one hour at a time but now you start by having a few 10-minute sessions of exercise throughout the day. Again, there is no perfect recipe here, you need to listen to your body and find the right level of challenge to stay in a positive cycle of movement.

We are not always that reliable when it comes to remembering our pain levels. Consider keeping a pain/activity diary to understand your pain and what types of movement impact it throughout the day. Recorded data can be a useful tool.

Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important recovery tools. If you are struggling with sleep, it is important to find out why. Some common things that impact quality of sleep are alcohol, caffeine, processed sugar, and screen time – try to go to bed earlier and create a better sleep environment. This might mean you stay away from screens before bed and limit your intake of other substances.

Strengthen your support system

It can be difficult to ask for help, but it is also difficult to live with chronic pain! Ask for support from the people around you. Maybe you need someone to help you with cooking healthy meals, or you need an accountability partner to help you start exercising. It can be helpful to find a chronic pain support group to meet other people working to overcome a similar obstacle. Asking for help can be difficult, but it can make a world of difference.

Resources
Quartana PJ, Campbell CM, Edwards RR. Pain catastrophizing: a critical review. Expert Rev Neurotherapy. 2009;9(5):745-758.
Casey A, Benson H. Mind Your Heart: A Mind/Body Approach to Stress
Management, Exercise, and Nutrition for Heart Health. New York, NY; Free Press,
2004.

MSK-0072 RevA