There are thousands of ways to manage chronic pain. They range from anything as simple as taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, to something more drastic like surgery to fix painful joints. Chronic pain can be tough to manage. Being in pain all the time is not only distracting, depending on the severity, but it can also be all-encompassing keeping you from living the life you desire. Managing chronic pain often takes a multi-faceted approach. It might be one part medicine, to make the days more manageable. Some of the least conventional ways to treat chronic pain don’t involve invasive surgeries or procedures. Many of them require some lifestyle changes that, if effective, can transform your life. There are many things that people are doing that are inadvertently leading to some of their pain problems. Here are some unconventional ways to treat chronic pain.
Do Regular Yoga Workouts
Yoga is well known for its mental health benefits and how it improves your circulation. Did you know that it can also alleviate pain? The pain that comes to joints and muscles can sometimes be relieved through stretching. Yoga offers the perfect opportunity to stretch joints, muscles, and nerves which can reduce pressure on those areas. It also improves blood flow and can cause a reduction in inflammation. Plus, it’s a great exercise for people who want to lose weight or simply feel better in their bodies.
Spend Time in a Sauna
Heat is a great option to reduce pain. When you’re in chronic pain, spending time in a sauna can help your body detox while you also get the relaxing benefits of sitting in a hot room. Saunas increase the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the muscles which can lead to better muscle recovery and less pain. Additionally, the relaxing feeling you get in a sauna is a result of your body releasing endorphins that also reduce inflammation naturally.
Wear Better Shoes
Treating chronic pain means looking for the source. Outside of autoimmune disease and an injury, the source of chronic pain could be something as simple as the shoes you wear. Women’s work shoes are designed for people who are on their feet all day. Wearing a great pair of running shoes while you exercise can give you the comfort and support you need. The key here is to find great shoes and then ensure you get the right fit. You may find that your ankle, knee, and hip pain all but disappear when you buy a new pair of shoes.
Change Your Eating Habits
There are foods that cause inflammation, and that inflammation can lead to pain. Whether it’s joint pain, muscle pain, or nerve pain, changing your eating habits may help. Some find that a gluten-free diet is a great way to reduce stomach pain and so much more. Others find relief when they get rid of processed sugar. For yet others, having an allergy test and removing allergens also removes the pain. While changing your eating habits can feel like a shot in the dark, there are some plans out there, like a Whole 30 that can help you change your habits to see what works best for you.
Lose Weight
This one is hard to hear because it feels like a personal attack. But the truth is that many people who experience chronic pain are also obese. For some, the pain hit first, and the weight piled on as they struggled to sleep or eat well. For others, the pain is a direct result of being overweight or obese. It’s important to be honest with yourself if there are some things you could do to lose weight to alleviate your pain. While changing habits is hard, it’s also difficult to live with chronic pain.
When not even the painkillers will work anymore, it might be time to take an honest assessment of your habits. While there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to losing weight, there are some constants. Processed sugar, diet drinks, and processed meats are all major culprits in obesity. Add to that a sedentary lifestyle due to pain and you have the perfect storm to pack on pounds that lead to more pain issues.