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Anyone living with chronic pain knows it is a constant battle. The pain can affect various parts of your daily life, including your job, relationships, and regular day-to-day tasks. Each and every day can bring a new challenge, which can take a toll on your physical, mental, and emotional health. While medications and other treatments may help, it’s not always enough to control all of your symptoms.

These tips can help you take control of your life and make living with chronic pain a bit easier:

Minimize Stress in Your Life

Negative feelings can increase the body’s levels and sensitivity to pain. Taking control and finding ways to minimize daily stresses can have a lasting impact and make your pain levels more bearable. 

Learn Meditation And Deep Breathing Exercises

Meditation and deep breathing are easy techniques that can majorly relax and potentially ease your pain. Tension and tightness come from our muscles, and relaxing them can soothe and comfort the body.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise has many pain-reducing effects. For starters, it helps release endorphins and brain chemicals that help improve your mood and block pain signals. As well, exercise strengthens your muscles and helps prevent further pain and injury. Speak with your doctor about an exercise routine that would work best with you!

Eat a Healthy Diet

A nutritious and well-balanced diet is essential for overall good health by improving your digestive system, reducing your risk for heart disease, maintaining a healthy weight, and improving blood sugar levels. 

Lessen Alcohol Consumption

You probably already know that pain can make sleeping very difficult, and alcohol will only make it worse. Drinking alcohol less frequently could help improve your sleep and your quality of life.

Quit Smoking

Smoking cigarettes can worsen circulation problems, increase pain levels, and increase your heart disease and cancer risk.

Join a Support Group or Speak With Professionals

When you’re around others who are dealing with chronic pain and understand what you’re going through, it helps to feel less alone, and you have an opportunity to learn more about coping methods. 

Speaking with a mental health professional can also help with coping. Getting proper counseling can help you feel less alone and help you deal with depression, a common side effect of chronic pain.

Distract Yourself

Focusing on the pain only makes it worse and more intense. Instead, find other enjoyable things to focus on. Find activities or hobbies that make you both happy and keep you busy.  

Avoiding and healing the pain can be difficult, but you can take control of your life!

Orthopaedist in Connecticut

If you suspect you have an injury, or are in pain, give the Orthopaedic Specialty group a call at (203) 337-2600 and let us know how we can help you!