Since being diagnosed with Chronic Epstein Barr Virus (now CFS) back in the 80’s, there are have many times when I have been in physical pain – joint and muscle pain, primarily In the mid-90’s, I had disc in my neck pressing on the nerve and it was excruciating. Recently I have been bothered by arthritis and fibromyalgia pain.
When you get to be my age, some physical pain is inevitable. Stuff breaks down. Age wear and tear. Maybe you have physical pain somewhere in your body or multiple places, especially if you are over 50.
There are a number of ways I deal with pain that have worked for me and I will share them with you here in hopes that they will be helpful to you.
- Stop. It’s time to take stock. What and where exactly is your body hurting? Identify whether it is acute or an ache that has been there awhile. Can you remember doing something out of the ordinary or something routine that caused the pain?
- On a scale of 1-10, how bad is the pain? Do you have time to relax into it or do you need relief immediately? If you need immediately relief, like a 7 or above on the scale of 1-10, take whatever medication you need or seek medical help.
- If, however, you have time to wait a little bit, sit or lie down in your most comfortable position. Start using deep breathing, in and out, to help your clenched-up body to relax. Then, think of a time or situation that gave you comfort or when you felt especially loved, like when you were stroking your pet, praying, getting a massage, being close to your spouse, whatever. Keep doing the deep breathing while remembering that comforting and relaxing time. Stay there for a while if you can. I find that the edge of pain lessens when you can deeply relax into this visualization. Try it.
- Evaluate. What do you think is causing the pain? You know your body better than anyone. Have you increased your exercise too fast? Have you been eating poorly, e.g. lots of sugar and processed foods? Be honest. Sitting at the computer too long? What can you do differently that would alleviate the pain?
- Plan a Strategy going forward. In my case, I recently was diagnosed with “tennis elbow.” My strategy was to stop lifting weights, limit using my arm in swimming. Apply anti-inflammatory gel. Get physical therapy. Apply ice. You get the picture.
What will be a strategy for you to lessen your pain? Change your diet to anti-inflammatory or try an elimination diet to see if you can pinpoint what is causing your joint and muscle pain? Maybe you need to lose weight, so there is less pressure on your joints? Maybe get some food testing done to see if you have a sensitivity to a certain food.
I had much more joint pain before I eliminated gluten from my diet, which I found out after having some tests done. Maybe figure out a way to reduce your stress. See a practitioner, maybe an alternative or functional medicine doc, maybe a specialist, if that is what you think is needed. Just make a plan…Don’t just suffer.
Have these tips about what to do when you are in physical pain helped?
I would love to know what techniques and strategies you use when you are in pain – leave your ideas in the comments section below.
If you would like some help in implementing your wellness and pain relief strategy, give me a shout-out here. I would be super excited to help you!
Jane Springer is a certified Life, Wellness and Style Coach who assists women in taking care of themselves, in body, mind and spirit. She coaches women who want to lose weight, avoid diabetes, and feel great. She also helps them thrive after divorce. She also helps them to clear their closets of old clothes and outdated attitudes, so they can shine and feel confident.