I help people with chronic pain. How? Through a number of modalities. Massage can help most people, but for those with Fibormyalgia, massage can sometimes be painful, so other forms of relaxation therapy works better. Often times chronic pain creates stress on the body and emotions, and the more stressed we are, the more the pain can increase and the more significant the long term damage that will occur and manifest itself in the body. Webmd had some great tips on managing chronic pain on their site:

 

“1. Learn deep breathing or meditation to help with chronic pain.

Deep breathing and meditation are techniques that help your body relax, which eases pain. Tension and tightness seep from muscles as they receive a quiet message to relax.

Although there are many to meditate, the soothing power of repetition is at the heart of some forms of  meditation. Focusing on the breath, ignoring thoughts, and repeating a word or phrase — a mantra — causes the body to relax. While you can learn meditation on your own, it helps to take a class.  Deep breathing is also a relaxation technique. Find a quiet location, a comfortable body position, and block out distracting thoughts. Then, imagine a spot just below your navel. Breathe into that spot, filling your abdomen with air. Let the air fill you from the abdomen up, then let it out, like deflating a balloon.

3. Boost chronic pain relief with the natural endorphins from exercise.

Endorphins are brain chemicals that help improve your mood while also blocking pain signals. Exercise has another pain-reducing effect — it strengthens muscles, helping prevent re-injury and further pain. Plus, exercise can help keep your weight down, reduce heart disease risk, and control blood sugar levels — especially important if you have diabetes. Ask your doctor for an exercise routine that is right for you. If you have certain health conditions, like diabetic neuropathy, you will need to be careful about the types of activities you engage in; your doctor can advise you on the best physical activities for you.”

I have seen first hand how people can start to feel better simply by taking steps to take  control over chronic pain. It can be so all consuming and it is so difficult to find relief, that just feeling like there is hope for the pain relief will bring the stress levels in a person’s body down significantly. That feeling of hope can go along way towards making us feel better..

Valentina Boonstra