Chronic pain is a common health condition that affects millions of Americans each and every day. Similarly, millions of Americans have attempted to lose weight through a diet program at some point in their life. When you think about it, a chronic pain management plan and a successful diet are a lot alike in a number of ways. In today’s blog, we explain why chronic pain care is a lot like a diet program.

Chronic Pain Care Is Like A Diet

If you have chronic pain and you’ve ever tried to go on a diet in the past, you probably realize that they share a number of key points, which are:

1. There’s No Magic Pill – Whether it be chronic pain or losing weight, there is no quick fix to the problem. You’re not going to find a magic pill that will cure your pain or have you shed 15 pounds overnight. Stop looking for the easy fix, because that’s only going to distract you from the helpful treatments.

2. It’s Going To Take Work – Piggybacking off the above point, dieting and pain management are going to require a significant commitment on your end if you want to see the best results. The more work you put in, the better results you’ll see. We’ve never had a patient say “I wish I would have tried less to manage my chronic pain,” but we’ve definitely heard people say they wish they would have worked harder. In pain management or dieting, you get out what you put in.

3. String Together More Good Days Than Bad – While this is sometimes easier sad than done, it’s important to realize that every single thing you do doesn’t have to be perfect when it comes to dieting or chronic pain care. It’s fine to reward yourself with a snack after an intense workout, and it’s not the end of the world if you have to cancel plans because of your chronic pain. Not everything needs to be perfect so long as you’re working to have more good days than bad. Doing your physical therapy exercises each day and making healthier food choices more often than not can help you string together more days where you feel like you helped yourself get healthier, and that’s what’s most important.

4. Celebrate Your Progress – Don’t just focus on your end goals and measure your success off of that. We understand that you often have specific weight goals or want to be completely free from chronic pain, but make sure you also celebrate the progress you’re making towards that goal. If activities are less painful or you’re losing weight (even if it’s not as much as you originally hoped), celebrate these wins instead of only viewing success as the final result. It will make it easier to continue working towards your goals if you celebrate the progress you’ve made so far.

5. A Specialist Can Compliment Your Approach – Finally, a chronic pain specialist or a dietitian can help provide individualized advice and give you that extra assistance you need to reach your goals. Never be afraid to ask for help or reach out to a professional for assistance, because that’s what we’re here for. So if you want a little extra help managing or overcoming your chronic pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today.