Pain is your brain’s way of telling you something isn’t right. It can be a sign of an injury, it could just mean that you slept on your arm wrong, and now you have a cramp, or it could be that you’re suffering from chronic pain. Regardless of the cause, pain can make it hard for you to do what you want and go where you need to. However, there are some simple things that you can do every day to help manage your pain and improve both your quality of life and your long-term health.
1. CBD Gummies
CBD is a cannabinoid, but it is more of a supplement than a medication. Thanks to their anti-inflammatory properties, CBD pain relief solutions can be used for different kinds of pain management. It can come in the form of gummies – which are fun to take since they are fruity and make it feel more like a snack than a health treatment, but you can also get oil, creams, or other options if you prefer – and have been shown to reduce the severity of pain experienced from arthritis, nerve pain, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and even menstrual cramps. Some people are unsure about CBD products because it’s a natural derivative of cannabis. However, it’s important to note that CBD isn’t a psychoactive substance – it doesn’t provide a high at all. It doesn’t even have the potential for abuse that regular marijuana does.
2. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical treatment that uses needles to stimulate physical points throughout the body in order to help heal certain conditions and relieve pain. The use of acupuncture dates back all the way to 200 B.C., but it has only recently started becoming popular in Western countries. It’s not just for pain relief either – acupuncture can also be used to help treat things like nausea, headaches, insomnia, and even depression. If you’re interested in this, it’s important to go to a licensed acupuncturist that you can trust. If you feel comfortable with the person that is helping you, then it will be much more effective.
3. Stretching And Yoga
Whether your goal is to improve flexibility or just avoid a muscle knot that leaves you immobile for a few days until it goes away, stretching is a great way to achieve either of those things. Stretching helps for pain for two reasons – firstly, it increases the amount of available space within your muscles and joints, which means that your range of motion can be more optimal than if you didn’t stretch.
Secondly, stretching makes the muscles less tense and relaxed overall, which leads to less pain and stiffness. Similarly, yoga is a great way to improve your flexibility and lower your stress levels, which reduces tension in your muscles that leads to aches and pains. It also improves circulation, which is important for proper healing of injuries or just working out the kinks from an uncomfortable sleep position. Plus, it’s a great way to build your core, which leads to better posture and less pain with things like back problems.
4. Pain Management Routine
When dealing with chronic pain, it’s easy to fall into a routine that just focuses on avoiding and ignoring all pain. However, in order to increase your quality of life and help you feel better faster, it’s important not to just avoid the pain but find ways to actively manage it. As much as possible, try chasing away the pain when you feel it coming on, rather than waiting for it until it becomes too uncomfortable for you to ignore.
Research has shown that the more quickly you start treating your pain, the better it will be in the long term – even if it might seem impossible to do at first. Once you find a couple of things that work for you, make them a part of your daily routine. It might feel like a lot, but it’s important in order to keep yourself from having to deal with pain on a day-to-day basis, or at least make it more manageable on the days that it does hurt.
5. Look For A Second Opinion
If you’re dealing with chronic pain that isn’t abated by any of the above methods or any other treatment options that your doctor recommends, then it might be time to get a second opinion. Sometimes doctors know what they are doing, but sometimes they don’t have all of the information needed to properly treat an ailment. If one doctor’s treatments aren’t working, then maybe another one can fill in the gaps.
While going through more tests is nobody’s idea of a good time, think of it this way – you’ll be able to provide the new doctor with a more detailed history of your pain and the non-traditional treatments that you’ve already tried. If they can figure out what’s wrong with you or what is causing your pain, then they will be able to provide you with something more effective than before.
Pain is not something that you should deal with on your own – there are plenty of options for you to consider when it comes to managing your chronic pain and feeling better. Try the above methods and see how they fit into your daily routine, and if you feel like you need to seek out a second opinion, do so. You should always strive for the best quality of life that you can.
