Ten Coping Tips To Manage Chronic Pain

Any pain that lasts for more than six months can be defined as chronic pain. This pain can range from mild to severe, it can be continuous or episodic, and exists on a spectrum from slightly irritating to completely debilitating. Pain can come from numerous different sources, some of which can be treated while others cannot.

The anxiety, helplessness and despair that are so often associated with constant pain leaves you fatigued. This also depresses the production of natural painkillers in the body, in turn making the pain even worse. The negative thoughts arising in the brain about the quality of life boost the production of chemicals in body which can further amplify the pain sensations. Thus, you end up in a vicious cycle where pain leads to depression which, in turn, leads to more pain.

Experts say that this cycle can even weaken the body’s natural immune mechanism, making you more susceptible to different kinds of infections.

Chronic pain can be a result of an injury or infection or some other ongoing cause of pain, like a debilitating disease. There may be instances when no apparent reason for the chronic pain can be determined. Some of the most common causes of chronic pain include headaches, backache and joint pains. Long standing muscle pain or painful conditions of nerves like the carpal tunnel syndrome are also termed as chronic pain.

Managing chronic pain involves not only relief from the physical pain but also dealing with the mental and emotional aspects of the chronic pain. It is only when both the fronts are addressed simultaneously that one can break the vicious cycle. It often has to be a joint effort with physicians and psychologists.

Apart from taking your medicines to cope up with the physical aspect of chronic pain, here are some tips which can help in dealing with the mental and emotional aspect of chronic pain.

1. Accept your condition

The first and foremost step of coping with your chronic pain involves coming to terms with the fact that you suffer from a form of chronic pain which may take a considerable time to go away, or you may even have to bear with it for your entire life. It is easier said than done. Acknowledging that you suffer from a chronic condition is almost like accepting defeat. You always considered yourself fit and fine and now suddenly you are in a situation which is affecting both your body and soul. And it is not going to go away easily.

But remember that only if you accept the situation that you will be able to regain the mental strength to fight with the condition. Living in denial would never give you the courage to meet the situation head-on. And do away with the grief as soon as possible. It is only natural to feel sad about your condition but remaining sad throughout is certainly not the way you would like to spend your life. 

Once you accept the chronic nature of your pain, you can switch modes — instead of being stuck in grief mode, you can now find ways to deal with the situation, making your life the best it can be with the condition you have. This proactive decision can be the start of feeling better.