2020 is thankfully in the rearview mirror, but unless you make some positive changes in the New Year, this year may be just like the last, or even worse, for your chronic pain condition. But how can you take control over your chronic pain condition while also accounting for the current COVID-19 pandemic? We share some tips for helping to regain control over your chronic pain condition in the new year.
New Year, Less Pain
It won’t be easy to get a better handle on your chronic pain condition, especially as we work our way out of a pandemic, but planning ahead and sticking to new routines can help you get there. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
1. Make It A Point To Exercise More – Not everything in life is controllable, but the factors we can influence should not be overlooked. Exercise is one of those modifiable factors that we can control that has a direct impact on our chronic pain condition. Exercise will help to strengthen key structures, improve mobility and flexibility, release natural pain relievers in the form of endorphins and help you work towards a healthy weight, all of which can help with pain sensations and tolerance. It’s not always easy to exercise in the Minnesota winter, especially if COVID has closed your gym, but make it a point to exercise 3-5 times a week at home or in a COVID-safe manner. This will help with your overall health as well as your pain condition.
2. Improve Your Eating – Your diet plays a big role in the expression of your chronic pain condition. Poor eating habits can lead to inflammation and nerve compression, and weight gain can put more stress on your joints. On the flip side, healthy eating habits can help to prevent chronic pain symptoms by ensuring your body gets a range of key vitamins and nutrients that support healthy tissue growth and function. Similarly, healthy eating promotes a healthy weight, which keeps excess stress off joints like our hips and knees. You don’t need to eat perfectly every meal, but strive to eat healthier in the new year.
3. Improve Your Sleep Habits – Another controllable aspect of your health and in turn your chronic pain condition is your sleep quality. Now we know that it’s easier said than done to say “get quality sleep,” but if you make a concentrated effort to improve your sleep, you should see the fruits of your labor shortly thereafter. To improve your sleep quality, make your bedroom an ideal sleep environment. Keep it dark, cool and free from distractions like phones, televisions or books. Go to bed around the same time every night, and once you’re in bed, focus all your efforts on falling asleep. Don’t spend 45 minutes watching Netflix before playing on your phone for 20 minutes and then calling it a night at 11:15. When you get in bed, your only goal should be to fall asleep and stay asleep. Control what you can control in your sleep environment, and your sleep quality should improve.
4. Find A Specialist You Can Trust – Finally, if you feel like your current pain care provider just isn’t giving you the attention to detail that you know you deserve, consider looking into new options in the new year. We’re accepting new patients and our number one goal is to help you find an individualized solution to your pain condition. We know that everyone’s pain situation is unique, so we don’t just group you in with all other patients. Your pain condition in a one-of-a-kind issue that needs to be treated as such to get the best treatment results, and we know that we can provide you with that level of care and attention to detail. Let Dr. Cohn and his team help you make 2021 the year you put your chronic pain condition behind you.