Relaxing and Exercise
The next important thing for sufferers of chronic pain is relaxation.
By being able to stay in a relaxed mood the adrenaline flow subsides.
When the body is relaxed pain levels are down..this is why antidepressants work and are part of the conventional treatment program for Chronic Pain conditions.
Anti-anxiety medications are also used.
Aromatherapy,massages,homeopathic remedies, meditation, and hypnotherapy are all tools that can be used to relax.
St,Johns wort,Kava kava,chamomile,passionflower and lavender are herbal help in many cases.
Of course each person is unique so what will work for one will not work for all.
For people in Chronic Pain restful sleep is not something they get a lot of, so a comfortable bed is very important.
Waterbeds,airbeds,tempurpedic, or something along those lines can greatly assist those in Chronic pain.
Try to avoid things with springs that will create pressure points.
You will have to find what works best for you.
Intimacy is also important. Sometimes you can have that with your life partner sometimes you cannot and when you cannot or do not have that... then that creates extra stress which creates tension. People who have any chronic condition are not having the condition alone if they are in a relationship or have a family. This condition effects the entire family unit.
So expressing what is going on with you is a important thing.
So developing some kind of intimate relationship with someone that you trust to talk with and share with relieves a lot of stress and tension which in turn reduces pain.
I am not talking about physical sex here but something entirely different.
However humans are sexual beings by nature and often Chronic pain patients just do not feel like the excercise sex brings because it brings pain as afterplayso I would suggest for those people who wish too... a form of Tantric Sex which is not all about the act but about intamacy.
In short lots of hugging ,stroking and touching. which can produce a deep relaxation all by itself.
Any thing that brings comfort ,encouragement, emotional and mental support and relaxation..is a good thing .
Exercise can be a very difficult thing to do when one deals with Chronic Pain.
But yet it is vital to stay active in some form . So one has to find something they love to do.
Set yourself up things to do when you are having a bad pain day..something that is creative for you to do.
A person might take up building ships in a bottle, painting,pottery,working with metals,fishing,photography,jewlerymaking,candlemaking,Bosai,music, ...well you get the idea. Tinkering with something that you enjoy creating is very important.
This kind of creative gentle activity is very peaceful and keeps tension down in the body by keeping the mind and body active.
Odds are that what a person used to do is a very active lifestyle physically that for the time being is no longer an option for them.
Gentle stretches... Tai Chi has been reported to work wonders.
Then there is floating in a pool,or using a pool to exercise in.
Many YMCAs have programs for people who have these kinds of physical situations.
If a YMCA pool is not available to you there are always the 3and 4 ft.pools that are around and that will work just as well to exercise in. One can stretch out and work the muscles without the resistance and problems that exercising in conventional ways often brings.
Hot tubs with a herb bath sachet also works well for many.
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