You’re dealing with some serious physical pain. Here’s an example: A few years ago I was diagnosed with sacroiliitis. That’s pain in the pelvis. Sacroiliitis is so painful you can’t believe it. It hurts to lay down, hurts to roll over in bed. Forget about going to the gym, it hurts to even think about going to the gym. So how did I deal with this? That brings us back to our title of dealing with chronic pain.
The Inner You
No doubt about it, stress can intensify chronic pain. So controlling stress may impact how much pain you feel. One of the keys of living with chronic pain, according to WebMD.com, has more to do with deep breathing and meditation and less to do with taking a couple of aspirin. Relaxation techniques are ‘learned techniques” that help your body release pain. Tension and tightness leave the muscles when they receive a message to relax.
Although there are many ways to meditate, WebMD says, “the soothing power of repetition is at the heart of some forms of meditation. Focusing on the breath, ignoring thoughts, and repeating a word or phrase, a mantra, causes the body to relax.”
One of the easiest relaxation/meditation techniques involves deep breathing. You don’t need to be in the lotus position with burning incense. Just find a quiet location, a comfortable body position, and block out distracting thoughts. Concentrate on slowly filling your abdomen with air. The idea you want is like inflating/deflating a balloon with air.
Feels Good
Endorphins are the “feel good” chemicals your brain produces that coincidently improve your mood and block pain signals from occurring. Exercise has been known to release endorphins. So can exposure to sunlight, soothing music and being with friends. Exercise makes you feel good in a more tangible well as well: It strengthens muscles, helping prevent injury and more pain.
See Your Chiropractor
Getting back to my unfortunate bout with sacroiliitis: Sometimes the pain you’re dealing with is rooted to your physical well-being. Diet and healthy living help to an extent, but a chiropractor can assist with spot-checking your spinal alignment and your joints, things you may never have even considered. Such was my case as a visit to a chiropractor got me on the fast track to a healthy recovery. That’s a story for another time, but “painless” is the way to go.
Learn about de-stressing your life, building your muscles and going easy on your joints. It makes for a winning combination. If you have questions about your overall health and how chiropractic treatment can help you, contact your chiropractor for consultation and a complete check-up.
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Maria Böttner + App-Logo by Openers UG is licensed under CC BY 4.0
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