Chronic pain can be a debilitating condition, as it can force you to stay in bed, in darkness and silence, away from your family and friends. Managing chronic pain can be difficult, especially since there are so many holistic approaches and treatments.
The good news is you can also implement a number of lifestyle changes to help you manage the pain and reduce it.
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Good sleep is important
According to pain management specialists from painmanagementnyc.com, good sleep can dramatically reduce the pain level and improve your quality of life. During sleep your body restores itself, so it’s important to sleep well in order to wake up refreshed and ready to start a new day. Lack of sleep leads to tension and fatigue, which can lead to pain themselves and aggravate it.
To make sure you get enough sleep you can embrace a number of simple tips. Keep your bedroom clean and cool, to stimulate a relaxing atmosphere. Clutter is known to lead to stress, so make sure your bedroom is always clean and tidy. When it comes to temperature, a cool bedroom (the recommended temperature is around 65F) promotes a good night’s sleep. Additionally, you will have to use a bigger blanket and its weight to get the feeling of coziness.
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Keep an eye on your diet
We are what we eat and this means diet changes go a long way when it comes to our overall health. Changing what we eat is one of the hardest things because we become used to certain tastes and eating patterns. To reduce chronic pain, it’s important to eat foods as raw as possible. The less processed they are, the better for your health. Heavily processed foods contain a lot of sugar and additives, which cause inflammation, worsening chronic pain. Instead of choosing precooked or canned foods pick fresh, local produce. Eating locally grown foods ensures they are fresh and less processed, so always keep an eye out for seasonal items and locally grown meat.
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Exercise
When you are in pain the last thing you want to do is to exercise, but you should be embracing light daily exercises to improve your strength and relieve pain. You don’t need to push yourself too far; something as simple as taking a walk in the park or play with your pet can change your overall state and improve your mood. Whenever it is possible, go out and exercise, but during the winter months, the gym will do as well.
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Drink more water
Chronic pain management can be as simple as drinking more water. Most people are dehydrated because we drink only when we are thirsty. Moreover, we rely on coffee to keep us going, which also makes us dehydrate faster. Dehydration alone can lead to migraines and chronic pain, so make a habit out of drinking eight glasses of water per day. You can also supplement your water with juicy fruits and tea, but keep in mind that coffee and alcohol are not included on the list of hydrating fluids.
Simple lifestyle changes can go a long way in relieving chronic pain and improve your overall health, so don’t rely only on medication to improve your life quality.
Source: Daily Nation
