Halloween, Sugar And Chronic Pain

October 28, 2022 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Halloween is only a few days away, and that means soon you’ll be handing out candy or sifting through your child’s basket when they leave it on the counter. Indulging your sweet tooth every once in a while typically won’t leave you any worse for the wear, but overeating sugary sweets can certainly cause problems, especially if you’re dealing with a chronic pain condition. Below, with the Halloween holiday in mind, we take a closer look at how sugar can make your chronic pain worse.

Chronic Pain And Sugar

Sugar can complicate a number of different chronic pain issues, and here’s how:

Pro-Inflammatory – Sugar is a pro-inflammatory within the body. When we eat sugar, our bodies release insulin and stress hormones. These stress hormones can then elicit an inflammatory response from our body. During an inflammatory response, white blood cells can accumulate in our joints, leading to swelling, redness, tenderness and loss of flexibility. This swelling can also end up compressing nerves that could be the source of your chronic pain.

Chronic Inflammation – Not only can sugar cause an inflammatory response within your body that can lead to chronic pain, but excess sugar consumption can also lead to chronic inflammation throughout your body. Acute inflammation can cause discomfort in the moment, but if your body starts to crave sugar and you regularly give into these urges, inflammation can start to become chronic as sugar becomes a normal part of your diet. Controlling your sugar intake is key to combating chronic inflammation.

Impacted Immune Response – Research has shown that excess sugar consumption can lead to a suppressed immune system response as yeast and bacteria feed off this sugar. An overactive immune response can cause a number of issues, but so too can a suppressed immune system. If your body can’t fight off infections and bacteria, you can become sick more often, which can lead to inflammation and joint pain.

Increased Stress – Sugar can end up raising your blood pressure level, which causes the body to pump out adrenaline and epinephrine. These hormones can be helpful during physical activity, but they can also make you feel more irritable and anxious. Anxiety and mental anguish can increase pain sensations, making your chronic pain feel worse.

The good news is that if you’re mindful about your sugar consumption, you can prevent the compound from complicating your chronic pain issues. That can be particularly challenging around Halloween, but do what you can to limit your intake and remove sweet treats from the home once the holiday is in the rearview mirror! The longer that candy sits on the kitchen counter, the easier it is to grab a piece or two every time you walk by. Limit your sugar intake, get regular exercise and drink plenty of water, and we’re confident that you can keep sugar from causing problems for your chronic pain condition.

And for more hands-on help with a chronic pain issue, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today at 952-738-4580.

Making Chronic Pain Less Scary

October 28, 2020 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Halloween is right around the corner, and we want to stay on theme with the spooky holiday by talking about ways to make your chronic pain condition less scary. So below, read up on some tips that can help you take more control over your chronic pain and prevent you from living in fear of your condition.

Making Pain Less Scary

One of the reasons why a chronic pain condition can be so frightening is because of our lack of control over the situation. Patients don’t know if today will be a good day or a bad day, and the anxiety with not having control over your pain condition can make physical symptoms worse. Below, we share some tips for regaining control over your chronic pain condition.

1. Stay Active – A pain condition can make it easier for a person to want to lie in bed and avoid participating in daily life, but that only serves to make your condition worse in the long run. Activity and exercise help to build muscle and release endorphins that act as a natural pain reliever. Being active also helps your mental mindset, which can go a long way in helping you calm fears or anxiety over your chronic pain condition. Force yourself to do some physical activity each day, even if it’s just walking around the block.

2. Get A Diagnosis – You might be hoping that chronic pain will just go away on its own, but that’s rarely the case. Passively treating the condition by looking for information online is limited in its ability to help you, and in many cases it can actually make a person more anxious over their pain due to over-diagnosing the issue. To get peace of mind over your condition, get a confirmed and individualized diagnosis from a pain management specialist.

3. Control What You Can Control – As we mentioned above, a lot of our fears over our condition stem from our inability to control the situation. And while you can’t control everything, you need to focus your attention and efforts on the things you can control, like your exercise levels, your diet and your willingness to actively treat your condition head-on each and every day. If you can say you’ve done all you can to help keep your condition at bay, then you shouldn’t lose sleep over your condition. You’re controlling what you can control, and sometimes that’s all you can do.

4. Improve Your Diet – Eating healthier won’t cause your back pain to vanish, but it does play a crucial role in being able to work towards less daily pain. A healthy diet will give you more energy to be active or to fight through the days when you just want to lay in bed. It can also help you keep off extra weight, which can sometimes exacerbate a pain condition. You don’t need to eat perfectly every meal, but keep your health in mind when meal planning.

5. Education – The more we learn about our pain condition, the less fear it holds over us. Never be afraid to turn to your pain specialist for answers to questions or concerns you might have. The internet can also be a helpful option if you make sure you’re finding information from reputable sources, but again, your care team will be able to provide the best advice for your specific situation, so lean on them for help along the way!

For more information, or for help with your chronic pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.

Surviving Halloween If You Have Chronic Pain

October 30, 2019 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Chronic pain can make any day a pain, but some days are just worse than others. Halloween is one of those days that many people with chronic pain want to avoid, but with a little foresight and planning, you can not only survive, but thrive this Halloween if you have chronic pain.

Below, we share some tips for having a fun Halloween night even if you’re burdened by chronic pain.

Halloween and Chronic Pain

We want to help you plan for any occasion, so whether you’re planning on handing out candy, Trick or Treating around the neighborhood with your kids or hitting up a friend’s Halloween party, we’ve got some helpful tips for you.

1. Comfort if Key – Regardless of what you plan on doing tonight, make sure you are comfortable. Having poor posture or being in an uncomfortable costume can be a recipe for a chronic pain flareup. Set up a table and chair on your porch to hand out candy so you’re not always moving and opening your door to get to Trick or Treaters. When it comes to making your costume, prioritize comfort over style. You’re not going to be much fun in your costume if it contributes to your chronic pain condition.

2. Stay Warm – It’s going to be pretty cold here in Minnesota on Halloween, so dress appropriately. If you’re not dressed for the weather, blood vessels can constrict and affect healthy blood flow throughout your body, which can contribute to a pain flareup. Check the whether, plan for the cold and stay warm if you’re going to be outdoors to help avoid a painful flareup.

3. Candy Consumption – If your child comes home with a pillowcase full of candy, or the party you’re at has mounds of chocolate, practice some self-control and limit your sugar intake. Over-consumption of sugar can lead to the onset of inflammation in your joints and spine, leading to painful movements and compressed structures. A Kit Kat here or there isn’t going to kill you, but don’t just mindlessly work your way through your leftover candy while you watch a movie on the couch, or you may have some aches in the near future.

4. Know Your Limits – Another reason why chronic pain patients have bad days is because they overdid it the night before. Don’t stay out until all hours of the night or walk miles around the neighborhood, because the lack of sleep and all that walking will affect your total body health. Don’t be afraid to say “no” on Halloween, and try not to deviate too much from your normal routine. Otherwise you may be hurting later in the evening or when you wake up in the morning.

If you can follow these tips, we’re confident you’ll thrive this Halloween. And for help with your chronic pain condition, don’t hesitate to reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office!