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Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.” — The Princess Bride
If you’re reading this, you’re likely in pain. I’m sorry, pain sucks — and I know, because my life revolves around it.
Pain relief comes from trial and error through relentless experimentation on yourself to see which coping tools made a difference.
To start, I’m going to focus on how to relieve pain without spending money or leaving the house.
When I have a bad pain flare, I often freeze up and resign myself to a day in bed, forgetting all the options I have to feel better. It’s difficult to think clearly or logically when your hip is out of its socket or your fibromyalgia muscle pain is raging or your [insert chronic pain/illness here].
Are you hydrated? Two different studies found that dehydration can increase your perception of pain and restrict blood flow through your brain. So stay hydrated!
Have you eaten recently? When we eat food, our bodies turn it into energy through the process of cellular respiration (I’m not being snarky, I’m being literal!). Don’t make your pain worse by adding fatigue, irritability, and other symptoms of eating too little. Eat something!
Are you sitting/lying down comfortably? Are you sitting so engrossed by this pain guide that you don’t realize you’re sitting weird on your foot and it went numb? Is there a proverbial pea under your mattress throwing off your alignment and making your pain 10 percent worse?
Start building awareness of what positions (and how many pillows) are most comfortable and sustainable for you.
Once you’re cozy, nourished, and hydrated, you can move on to the next section.
Note: This is a general guide. I strive to be inclusive of all abilities, with the awareness that not every technique will work for you (or me!). Feel free to try what’s relevant to you, ignore what’s not, and adjust accordingly.
Fascia is “a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, beneath the skin that attaches, stabilizes, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs.”
Myofascial pain is caused by “trigger points,” which are tender spots within the muscles. Trigger points hurt to touch and can cause referred pain all over the body. Doctors now recognize myofascial pain syndrome as its own disorder.
Myofascial release techniques apply direct or indirect pressure to trigger points, loosening them and easing muscle pain over time. While it’s often used in massage therapy, it can also be self-administered at home using lacrosse balls, foam rollers, and theracanes.
In a pinch, use your or a (close) friend’s hands.
Multiple studies have shown that exercise can significantly reduce chronic pain, increase nerve function and decrease neuropathy symptoms, and even reduce depression and anxiety that’s so common in chronic pain sufferers.
Exercise is perhaps the most important tool in reducing my daily pain. It was also the hardest to start doing.
When you’re in severe pain, exercise seems impossible. But it’s not! The key is to start slow, increase gradually, and respect (and accept) your body’s limits.
If you’re ambulatory, start with short walks. Can you walk from your bed to your front door? Can you make it around the block? If you’re a wheelchair user, can you make it to the front door? Around the block?
I know it can feel insulting to be told to exercise when you’re in excruciating pain. I’m not saying it’s a magical cure, but it has the potential to really help. Why not find out for yourself?
Baths aren’t just for babies and fish, they’re also great for pain relief.
Heat helps pain by dilating your blood vessels, which increases blood flow to the area, helping your muscles and joints relax.
No bath? Take a shower! For localized heat, use an electric heating pad. No heating pad? Fill a sock with uncooked rice and heat it in the microwave in 30-second intervals until it’s the perfect hot-but-not-too-hot temperature.
Heat is generally indicated for muscle pain, while ice is recommended for reducing swelling or temporarily numbing pain from acute injuries.
