There are a lot of people who live in chronic pain every day. Some people have a genetic medical condition that predisposes them to chronic pain. Other people might have suffered a serious injury that still bothers them to this day. Unfortunately, a lot of the treatment options for chronic pain are addictive. For example, a lot of people take narcotic medications, including oxycodone, Oxycontin, and Dilaudid. These medications are incredibly dangerous, and an overdose can put someone in the hospital. Therefore, it is critical to take a look at other treatment options for chronic pain. If you want to develop a well-rounded treatment plan for chronic discomfort, what are a few options?
Start with Sleep
First, if you want to manage chronic pain, you must make sure you get enough sleep. Sleep is an important part of pain management because it gives your body a chance to rest, relax, and recharge. If you don’t give your brain a chance to recharge, it will have a difficult time filtering all of the signals that come from the rest of your body. Therefore, you may have a difficult time managing your pain because your brain will be overloaded. Remember that the average adult requires between seven and eight hours of sleep every night. Make sure you set your sleep schedule accordingly.
Consider Yoga and Pilates
Next, you may want to consider trying exercise programs such as yoga and pilates. These programs are designed to help you improve your physical health and your mental health. Both of these workout routines will ask you to hold specific poses, targeting vulnerable areas of your body to increase lean muscle mass. That way, you may provide additional support to previously injured body parts, helping you manage chronic pain. You may even want to go to your local gym to see if they offer trial classes. This gives you a chance to see if you like the program before you pay for it.
Meditation Can Be Helpful
Meditation can also be an important part of chronic pain management. When you meditate, you focus on each part of your body from head to toe. You start with the top of your head and work your way down to the bottoms of your feet, asking each part of your body to relax. This gives you a chance to leave your stresses at the door, helping you relax. A lot of chronic pain is mental. If you can leave the mental side of chronic pain behind when you are done meditating, you might find that your pain starts to melt away.
Give CBD a Try
If you are looking for natural health supplements that can help you manage your pain, you may want to consider CBD. CBD stands for cannabidiol, and there are lots of people who have turned to CBD to help them manage their pain. It doesn’t have the same side effect profile as prescription medications, so a lot of people prefer to take CBD instead. You may want to take a look at options for California weed dispensaries in the area. Make sure you talk to your doctor about CBD for chronic pain before you try this for the first time.
Exercise Regularly
If you deal with chronic pain, exercise is probably the last thing on your mind. On the other hand, it is incredibly important to exercise regularly to help you manage chronic pain. Exercise helps you maintain the flexibility and mobility of your individual joints. It also helps you maintain lean muscle mass, ligaments strength, and tendon strength. This is critical for providing support to areas of your body that require it. Exercise also releases endorphins, which can make you feel happier. Elevating your mood is important for alleviating chronic pain.
Stretch Often
Finally, you must make sure you stretch regularly. Stretching is important because it removes lactic acid from your muscles, getting rid of soreness that could make chronic pain worse. Stretching can also reduce your chances of suffering an injury, which would probably make your chronic pain that much worse. Always stretch before and after you exercise. You may also want to stretch before bed to give your body a chance to relax.
Address Your Chronic Pain with a Professional
Even though there are some people who need prescription medications for chronic pain, these are only supposed to be used for short-term, intense, acute pain because opioids and narcotics can be addictive. If you are looking for help developing a long-term treatment plan for chronic pain, take a well-rounded approach. Focus on diet, exercise, and sleep. Then, target holistic therapies such as yoga, pilates, and meditation. This can go a long way toward helping you reduce your reliance on prescription medications. It can also dramatically improve your overall quality of life.
