Chronic pain can make everyday actions difficult and leave us not wanting to get out of bed in the morning. It’s perfectly fine to have some bad days when it comes to your chronic pain condition, but the key is to find ways to become healthier and string together more good days than bad. But what are some of the best ways to live healthier in spite of a chronic pain condition? We share five tips in today’s blog.
Living Healthier Despite Chronic Pain
Living healthier while dealing with a chronic pain condition won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. Regularly making smart choices will help you have more good days than bad, and that is incredibly important when dealing with a chronic pain condition. Here’s come advice we give all of our patients who are dealing with an uncomfortable chronic pain condition.
1. Prioritize Sleep – Sleep is a restorative process for your brain and body, but that doesn’t mean that we are always great about consistently getting enough sleep. We understand that a pain condition can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep, but we also need to be mindful to set ourselves up for success. Go to bed around the same time each night, keep electronics and other distractions out of the room, and make the room dark and cool so that it’s easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
2. Regular Exercise – When you’re awake for the day, we want you to be active. Again, we know that this is easier said than done if you have a chronic pain condition, but exercise offers numerous benefits for a variety of pain conditions. Exercise will get your heart pumping, pushing oxygenated blood to structures that need it most, and it can help to strength areas that are unstable or contributing to your joint pain. Conversely, being inactive can lead to muscle and tissue atrophy, oftentimes worsening a pain condition. If standard workouts are too difficult because of your condition, pursue some low-impact exercises like swimming, cycling or moving on the elliptical.
3. Communicate With Your Pain Care Specialist – We want to do everything in our power to help you overcome your pain condition, and that’s a lot easier when the doctor and patient are effective communicators with one another. We’ll always be open and honest about your health and your pain condition, and we ask that you do the same. If you haven’t been doing your physical therapy sessions as recommended, or you’ve been stepping out of your physical restrictions, we need to know. We’re not here to judge you, but this information and effective communication can ensure that treatment remains on the right course.
4. Mind Your Diet And Weight – It’s also imperative that you make healthy food choices on a regular basis. We know that chronic pain can leave you feeling like you’ve lost control, and one thing you have full control over is your diet and food choices, which can be good or bad. Don’t retreat to unhealthy options because you had a bad day. You don’t need to eat perfectly, and be sure to reward yourself every once in a while, but string together more healthy meals. A poor diet can lead to weight gain, and this added stress typically only makes a chronic pain condition worse.
5. Be Willing To Pivot – Finally, it’s very rare for the first treatment strategy to completely resolve a complex pain issue, so you need to be willing to pivot if you’re not seeing the results you had hoped for. We’re always willing to pivot and find new methods for helping patients overcome pain, and we know that this process can be discouraging at times. Don’t give up! Keep following the other tips on this list and approach your pain care plan with an open mind, and we’re confident that you’ll eventually win out over your condition.
For more information, or for help with a different pain issue, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today at (952) 738-4580.