Common Chronic Pains and How to Deal With Them

Regardless of age, gender, or even social status, every human can feel occasional aches and pains. But when these aches suddenly become somewhat of a recurring occurrence, we should definitely be concerned. So let’s tackle everything you need to know about common chronic pains and how to make them go away.

What is chronic pain?

Normally, pain is a form of signal from our brains that tell us of an existing injury in a specific part of our bodies. And when that injury heals, the pain will go away. However, that only applies to acute pain.

Chronic pain is technically the kind of ache that doesn’t go away and persists for weeks, months, or even an entire lifetime. Just like acute pain, chronic pain still tells you that something is wrong. However, this issue won’t be resolved with just one or even two appointments with your doctor. Chronic pain persists for weeks and even months. Usually, the reason for chronic pain is having to undergo a recent surgery or even an accident. But sometimes, it’s not as obvious as that.

The most common chronic pain is a headache. It can be caused by something as mundane as eye strain or as serious as migraine (this could lead to more serious illnesses if left untreated).

Then there’s the chronic back pain, particularly in the lower back area that can be attributed to an injury or even old age. And speaking of old age, every person growing old gets familiar with the condition known as arthritis or the weakening of the joints, which causes chronic joint pain.

However, older people aren’t the only ones who can experience chronic pain. The younger generation can also be vulnerable to chronic nerve pain because of alcoholism or drug dependency. Plus, this type of chronic pain can also be associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, a kind of disease common to those typing in front of their computers for extended periods of time.

How to deal with chronic pain

Of course, this article was not written with the intention of scaring you. On the contrary, the aim is to educate you on the steps you need to take to be able to relieve some of the pain you might be feeling or even prevent it from happening. So please take note of these simple but necessary steps to avoid and manage chronic pain.

Get enough rest

Most chronic pain is manageable if you do not aggravate it by pushing yourself to your limits. Learn to listen to your body and rest when necessary. 7-8 hours of sleep for any adult will ensure you have enough energy to go through another challenging day and avoid harming yourself any more, especially after a surgery or an injury.

Consume a balanced diet

The Harvard Medical School claims that diet plays a huge part in the management of chronic pain. Aside from the issues mentioned above, the prestigious American school has already confirmed that inflammation is the cause of most common chronic pain, which is attributed to unhealthy eating.

Aside from what you eat, your liquid intake can also affect your diet. If you drink too many carbonated beverages, that can possibly lead to diabetes, making you more vulnerable to chronic pain. So instead of sugary beverages, you can opt to drink tea or coffee instead to keep you hydrated and to give you that boost of caffeine you might need.

Do some exercise

Chronic pain can be reduced and outright be avoided if you can keep yourself physically active. Jogging may be bad on your knees but there are other exercises you can do to make yourself a lot healthier. There are tons of options online for free workouts at home. Some workouts can even be done within 15 minutes so there isn’t really any reason for you not to work out at least 3 times a week.

Do not self-medicate

Self-medication is dangerous and can lead to more harm than good, especially for chronic pain. If you’ve been taking aspirin or painkillers for about a month now, maybe it’s time to address the real issue instead of just remedying the symptom.

Hire a physical therapist

With a competent physical therapist, you’re basically assured that you can move on from chronic pain without stressing yourself further. For seniors, this is the best option for any muscle or joint pains because you’re literally in good hands. Physical therapists have trained for years to perfect the craft of understanding how the human body moves and how to recover from injuries involving mobility.

These steps outlined above are just some ways you can deal with chronic pain. But above all, please know that the love and support of your close friends and family will go a long way to encourage you to improve and make a full recovery.