According to the Canadian Pain Task Force Report from March 2021, nearly eight million, or one in five Canadians, suffer from chronic pain. Because of the immense number of people who are suffering, chronic pain has been deemed a public health emergency. These numbers have increased as the population ages, making it explicit that chronic pain isn’t just an isolated issue. Daily life when suffering from pain can become gruelling and dysfunctional, which is why managing chronic pain is so vital. Ascertaining ways to manage your chronic pain can assist in diminishing emotional grievances and can make functioning in your day-to-day life a little easier. 

Here are some helpful methods to manage your chronic pain. 

Meditation and breathing techniques

Adopting meditation and breathing techniques into your daily life is a useful method that will help ease your body into relaxation and reduce some of your chronic pain. Ignoring all your current thoughts and focusing on your breathing while repeating a mantra or phrase will place your body into a more relaxed state. Practicing deep breathing is another way to ease any tensions that could exacerbate your pain and reduce it significantly. Sitting in a quiet spot can help you find the tranquillity needed to allow the effects of deep breathing exercises to work for you. 

Exercise

Although resting is important to do when you suffer from chronic pain, too much rest can also increase your pain levels. To minimize pain as much as you can, incorporating regular exercise into your daily routine can increase muscle strength and flexibility. Ask your healthcare provider what types of exercises are safest for you and what would work best to help manage your chronic pain.

Acupuncture

For chronic conditions like headaches, lower and upper backaches, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and menstrual cramps, acupuncture is a good way to relieve these acute aches. Acupuncture is performed to release endorphins, which are the chemicals that block out feelings of pain. Acupuncture can be a conducive way to decrease pain and it can also work as a preventative measure to avoid the risk and reduce the severity of migraines, cluster headaches and neck pain.

Stress reducers

Significant stress and anxiety can all contribute to worsening pain. Learning to manage your stress can also be helpful in managing your chronic pain. Taking the time out of your busy schedule to do relaxing activities that you enjoy, like listening to music or reading, is an affordable and easy way to lessen the stress you may endure during the day. Stress reduction is an assured way to alleviate some of the chronic pain you suffer from.

chronic pain

Therapy

Receiving therapy, whether physical or psychological, can greatly reduce both physical and emotional pain that is caused by chronic suffering. Numerous physical therapies can teach you to perform stretches and strength-building techniques that will help you manage your pain. More so, seeking help for your mental health can improve the ways you cope with your chronic pain and the mental health struggles that may derive from it.

Managing your pain

Chronic pain can feel completely consuming as it impacts every aspect of your life. Improving your suffering may feel may seem improbable, but it can be done through various daily methods. Chronic pain doesn’t have to define your daily life, and taking small steps to minimize and manage your suffering can be incredibly helpful.

Balance: Psychology & Brain Health can help you find balance in your life by maximizing functioning and minimizing disability through holistic, evidence-based, and client-centred care. Calgary cognitive psychologists and neuropsychologists Calgary offer cognitive assessments, behavioural therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy in Calgary, and insomnia therapy in Calgary. By utilizing a biopsychosocial model, we specialize in assessing, preventing, and treating factors that can negatively affect your brain health. This includes keeping in mind the biological (e.g. genetics, neurochemistry, medical conditions), psychological (e.g. mood, personality, coping skills), and socio-environmental factors (e.g. culture, social support, education) that individually and collectively impact our well-being. Call (403) 764-0771 today to book at our neuropsychology clinic, chronic pain clinic Calgary or MCI clinic Calgary.