thanksgiving chronic pain

8 Quick Tips For Keeping Chronic Pain At Bay This Thanksgiving

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

thanksgivingThanksgiving can be a wonderful holiday to spend with family and friends, but for many with a chronic pain condition, the holiday presents numerous challenges if they want to avoid a painful flareup. And while everyone celebrates Thanksgiving a little differently, we wanted to use today’s blog to share eight ways you can work to keep chronic pain at bay this Thanksgiving.

Below, we share some tips for managing your chronic pain condition over the Thanksgiving holiday.

8 Chronic Pain Tips For Thanksgiving

While enjoyable, Thanksgiving is oftentimes much more stressful than your average day, and stress is one of the most common chronic pain triggers. To help reduce your stress and keep other potential issues at bay, here’s a look at eight tips to keep in mind as you navigate the Thanksgiving holiday.

1. Give Yourself Plenty Of Time – While we know that sleep is important, you may find it easier to keep chronic pain at bay if you wake up a little earlier and give yourself plenty of time to get ready for the day. Starting the day stressed and behind schedule can increase your risk of a flare up.

2. Leave Early – If you have to travel a decent distance, leave a little early so that you can stop for a couple minutes to stretch if pain starts to develop. Leaving a little early can also help to reduce stress in the event that you run into traffic on your journey.

3. Mind Your Diet – The Thanksgiving meal can easily trigger a painful flareup, so be particularly mindful of what you put on your plate. Foods that are high in sugar and fat are pro-inflammatory, and inflammation can cause a chronic pain reaction.

4. Skip The Alcohol – Alcohol can also end up triggering a chronic pain response, so consider sticking to water, which will also aid in the digestive process.

5. Share Duties – If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, make sure you share duties so that you’re not trying to do everything by yourself. Have others bring a dish to pass, and seek out help cleaning up the kitchen after the big meal. Overloading yourself physically during Thanksgiving can cause problems for your chronic pain condition.

6. Keep The Conversation Light – Family members don’t always see eye to eye, and the stress levels can get ratcheted up if the conversation turns sour. You can’t always control what gets discussed at Thanksgiving, but consider removing yourself from stressful conversations if the topic turns to politics, sports or previous family issues.

7. Stay Active After The Meal – We know that it can be tempting to lay down on the couch after the Thanksgiving meal, but being sedentary will make it harder for your body to break down and digest the meal, and this can actually increase your risk of a chronic pain flareup. Make it easier on your body to digest your food by standing or walking for 15-20 minutes after the meal.

8. Good Night’s Sleep – It can be easy for our body’s sleep schedule to get a little thrown off by the Thanksgiving holiday, and healthy sleep is imperative for chronic pain patients. Work to maintain a normal sleep schedule over the next few days.

Keep these eight tips in mind over the next couple of days, and we hope that you’ll have a wonderful and pain-free holiday! For more information, or for help with a chronic pain issue, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today at (952) 738-4580.

Avoiding Common Chronic Pain Triggers This Thanksgiving

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

thanksgiving chronic painChronic pain rarely takes a holiday, and in fact, holidays can oftentimes bring our chronic pain conditions to the surface. That’s why so many chronic pain patients dread the holidays, especially one like Thanksgiving that can throw a lot of triggers your way. However, if you are aware of these triggers and do what you can to avoid them, we’re confident that you’ll be able to have a more enjoyable holiday. In today’s blog, we share some tips on how to avoid some common chronic pain triggers this Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Chronic Pain Triggers

If any of these can cause your chronic pain to flare up, be proactive and take some steps to help avoid them.

Lack of Quality Sleep – Lack of quality sleep is a common trigger for patients with chronic pain. Sleep is a restorative process that rids our bodies of waste products and calms inflammation. If your body can’t effectively do this, a flareup may follow. There are a number of potential hazards to quality sleep around the holidays, so be aware of these triggers and make it a point to try to get quality sleep. Don’t stay up way past your bedtime with family and friends, don’t drink caffeinated beverages late in the evening, limit your alcohol intake and try to make your sleeping environment as conducive to quality and uninterrupted sleep as possible.

Unhealthy Foods – You may be looking forward to the Thanksgiving meal, but that can come back to haunt you if you’re not careful. High fat and carbohydrate-dense foods can trigger inflammation and lead to a chronic pain flareup, as can alcohol and caffeinated beverages. Even overeating can leave you feeling lethargic and without energy to move, and we all know that movement helps to fight back against chronic pain conditions. Slow your eating pace, grab some healthy options and wash it down with water.

Extended Travel – Another common chronic pain trigger is extended time in the same position. If you’re going to be in a car or on a plane for an extended period of time, your body can get stiff, muscles can spasm and chronic pain can set in. Stretch before you get in the vehicle and move around when possible at gas stations or when you’re free to move about the cabin. This will help improve circulation and keep healthy blood pumping to all areas of your body. Drink plenty of water along the way to stay hydrated, and leave a little early so that those pit stops to stretch and move don’t make you late.

Hours On Your Feet – If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, prepping sides or just helping with cleanup afterwards, all that time standing can lead to a flareup. Don’t try to do everything yourself, and when a task lends itself to sitting down, pull up a chair. You can dice potatoes or prepare gravy while sitting down, so take advantage of time when you can be off your feet. Don’t be afraid to wear supportive shoes while you’re cooking or cleaning either, and that will help take some of the stress of the hardwood floor off your feet.

Keep these aspects of Thanksgiving in mind and work to stay ahead of a flareup over the upcoming holiday stretch. And if you want a physician to assist with your chronic pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today.

How To Prevent Chronic Pain During Thanksgiving

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

thanksgivingThanksgiving is right around the corner, and while it will likely look a little different this year because of the coronavirus, odds are millions of Americans will be celebrating the holiday in some fashion, and that can cause a chronic pain flareup. While you may be looking forward to the holiday, Thanksgiving can be both stressful and physically demanding for your body, and that can make a chronic pain condition much worse. Below, we share some tips for avoiding chronic pain flareups over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving and Chronic Pain

Here are some ways in which the Thanksgiving holiday can contribute to a chronic pain flareup, and what you can do to help keep pain at bay over the holiday.

1. Destress – Stress is one of the most common chronic pain triggers, and Thanksgiving can be a stressful time. When you consider the added stress that the coronavirus brings, it’s easy to see how it could be a stressful few days. We’re not saying you should skip every single family gathering and self-isolate if you don’t have symptoms, because isolation can have its own impact on your chronic pain, but you need to make smart decisions for your health and the health of others. Avoid large get-togethers where the virus could spread, and skip an event if you’re feeling symptoms. This can help give you peace of mind that you’re putting your health first, and that can help you destress. If you are having a couple people over, plan ahead and have everyone bring a dish to pass so you’re not overstressed trying to do all the cooking and cleaning. Work to destress your life during the Thanksgiving holiday.

2. Stay Active – Regardless of whether you’re staying home or attending a small function, make sure you are still exercising and keeping your body busy over the Thanksgiving break. Overeating and sitting on the couch for a few days won’t do any favors for your pain condition. Make it a point to get regular exercise and strengthen your body even as the weather gets colder and the days get shorter.

3. Diet – No, we’re not telling you that you need to diet throughout the Thanksgiving holiday, that would just be mean. However, we do want you to be mindful of your dietary choices over Thanksgiving. Carbohydrate-dense and sugary foods can lead to inflammation development and a chronic pain flare up, so make sure you are making some healthy choices at the dinner table. We don’t expect you to be perfect, but if you make some smart choices and strive for some regular exercise, you’ll be able to help control against a chronic pain flareup.

4. Move and Stretch – Finally, to help avoid back pain or muscle stiffness, it’s important that you stand up and move around when possible. If you’re flying home or taking a long road trip, find some time to get out of your seat and stretch to help take pressure off certain areas of your body that handle stress in a seated position. Even if you’re not traveling, don’t just plop down in front of the television for the Macy’s parade and a full day of football. Move around, go for a walk and stretch every so often to help prevent muscle stagnation and a chronic pain flareup.

If you need help with your pain condition before or after the Thanksgiving holiday, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today.

How To Keep Chronic Pain From Ruining Your Thanksgiving

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

thanksgiving chronic painThanksgiving is tomorrow, and if you’re like a lot of people, you’re either preparing to travel to or host a Thanksgiving meal. This can be stressful in and of itself, but that only becomes amplified if you regularly deal with chronic pain. We’re not saying that we can make sure your Thanksgiving holiday goes perfectly, but if you follow these tips, we can help give you a better chance of avoiding a chronic pain flareup when you’re with family and friends.

Thanksgiving and Chronic Pain

Here are a number of tips to keep in mind if you want to help give yourself the best chance of avoiding a chronic pain flareup on Thanksgiving.

1. Get Plenty of Sleep – No, we don’t mean gorge on turkey and let the tryptophan do what it does best, we mean get plenty of sleep the night before. You’re going to have a busy Thursday, so let your body prepare for what’s ahead with a good night’s sleep. Head to bed early, get rid of the distractions like your phone or TV, and strive to get some quality sleep before the big day.

2. Travel Well – A long ride in the car can lead to chronic pain flareups, so be smart about how you travel. Check out this expanded post for more tips, but some tips to remember include stretching before you hit the road and when you make pit stops, staying on top of your medications and having good posture when you’re in the car!

3. Eat Right – This is easier said than done, but try to put some healthy options on your plate when it’s time for the meal, and avoid overeating, as this can lead to problems like acid reflux and GERD. We’re not saying you need to pass on they turkey and ham, but maybe skip that second helping of pecan pie. Fatty and sugary foods can lead to the onset of localized inflammation, which can compress nerves and trigger chronic pain.

4. Move – After the meal, you may feel inclined to sit on the couch and take a nap, but fight those urges and move around a bit. Whether that means helping with the dishes, helping hang Christmas lights or taking part in the annual family football game, movement will help push healthy blood around your body. Movement can also prevent muscles from being overstressed by being held in the same position for a long period of time.

5. Stay Ahead Of Your Pain – If you have reason to believe a flareup may be around the corner, be proactive with your over-the-counter or prescription medications. Take as directed, but you know the warning signs of a flareup, so consider taking an anti-inflammatory if you want to stay ahead of your pain.

6. Put You First – Finally, at the end of the day, it’s important to put yourself and your health first. Don’t overdo it, and don’t try to hide your pain, because it will rear its head. If you need to lay down for a few minutes, excuse yourself and prioritize your health. If you need a minute away form the chaos that is Thanksgiving, throw on your coat and go for a short walk. Put your health first today, because it can get hectic quick.

For help with all your pain needs, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.