Everyone suffers at some point with a niggling knee, an aching back or a shooting pain up their thigh. This might be caused by a sports injury, overexerting yourself at the gym or simply by sleeping in an odd position. Hopefully this pain is only ever acute, and something that you can manage with rest, CBD muscle balm, or an over the counter medication (Advil, Tylenol) as you heal. Occasionally, these acute conditions can turn into something more chronic leading to a reduction in the quality of life that you can lead. People who don’t suffer from chronic pain tend to view it suspiciously. Often the pain is hard to see, many people assume you might be over-egging your symptoms, or trying to fiddle the system or gain sympathy. You must ignore these people otherwise the stress they can cause will make your pain worse.
If you are struggling with an ache or a niggle, it’s time to stop burying your head in the sand and do something about it. Popping painkillers only does so much and goes so far. This isn’t something you should be doing long term as they can end up having a negative effect on your health. Before you know it, you could be needing more and more anti-inflammatories and taking way over the recommended dosage just to take the edge off your pain. Instead, you need to be looking into something more long term and sustainable. It’s not unheard of for people to overhaul their lifestyle to then find a massive reduction in their symptoms. Take a look at these simple ways to banish your aches and pains.
Sleep
While people know the importance of an active lifestyle and healthy diet in maintaining physical fitness, many people overlook the importance of sleep. Sleep is your body’s way of recharging, processing and refreshing. If your sleep is broken or uncomfortable, you run the risk of not being able to recover quickly from injuries or even causing them. Many individuals sleep on the wrong mattress for their needs. If you have niggles, you need to check out these tips on choosing a mattress for back pain to help alleviate your symptoms and get a better night’s sleep. Some mattresses, while expensive, even allow you to maneuver the height and position of the bed you are sleeping in electronically for ultimate comfort.
With a firmer mattress that is supportive and promotes correct spinal alignment, you can wake up feeling refreshed, without your back pain being the first thought of your day. At the same time as your mattress renewal, check out memory foam pillows that support your neck more effectively and cushion to the shape of your body.
If your sleep quality is poor because of no bedtime routine, you need to go back to basics. Forget scrolling through Facebook or uploading perfectly Amaro filtered images to your Instagram until the moment your head hits the pillow. Instead, you need to commit to a social media detox. That means no screens or tablets or phones for two hours before bed. This allows your brain time to relax, your stress levels to decrease and your mind to switch off. Run yourself a bath, read a book or go for a walk. Doing things that don’t involve technology will help you become more restful and ready for sleep.
Yoga
Many people still see yoga as some hippy dippy pastime that only dreadlocked individuals with a passing interest in spirituality can partake in. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yoga is the ideal exercise to help you with aching joints, painful muscles and stiff tendons. By working through yoga poses with an expert tutor, you can increase your mobility range and enjoy a suppleness that you haven’t felt in years. Yoga also teaches you an inner peace and relaxation through breathing exercises and thought maps. By breathing in a certain way and focusing your mind on a certain thing, your pain can be alleviated. This is something you can then utilize in your everyday life when the ache hits. Instead of reaching for the painkiller, you can think back to your yoga class and implement the natural pain killing strategies that you have learnt.
Shift The Pounds
While you might not like to think of yourself as overweight or having put on a few extra pounds, it might be time to step onto the scales. Without knowing it, we can put on weight by eating unhealthy stuff, snacking, or just becoming a little less active. To banish your aches and niggles, you need to beat the bulge first. Do this by committing to a more active lifestyle. If you enjoy heading to the gym, try and find a gym buddy to keep you motivated. By having company on the treadmill, you are more likely to keep attending rather than quitting at the first sign of cold weather outside or your favorite program popping up on the TV.
If a sea of bronzed Adonis like Amazon warrior women fills you with dread, you don’t have to head to the gym to get your exercise kicks. Instead, consider venturing for a long brisk walk every evening. This doesn’t mean a short stroll to the end of the road and back. This means feeling your heart rate increase, whipping some fast paced music onto your iPod and heading out for forty minutes and breaking a sweat. Alternatively you can put on an aerobics DVD a la the early 1990s and copy the leotarded individuals jumping around your TV screen. It doesn’t matter how you become active, it’s just vital that you do something.
In conjunction with your newfound exercise regimen, you need to begin eating a more balanced and healthy diet. Gone are the cakes, candy, and fast food. It’s time to welcome in a rainbow of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat, oily fish and whole grains. By revolutionizing your diet, you can revolutionize your pain. As you begin to lose weight, your muscles and joints will be under less strain meaning that they have a chance to recover and become healthy once more.
At Work
Even if you have a relatively sedentary job, sat at a laptop all day and barely leaving your chair, there are actions you can take to help your niggles. Occupational health is there to help make you feel better when at work. Their job is to provide you with exercises or equipment to ease your pain while at work. The theory is that if they can facilitate you being at work even with the odd niggle, this means you won’t be taking time off work and your company won’t be losing productivity.
Ergonomic chairs, foot rests and neck supports as well as laptop cover screens and booster boards can help you become relatively pain free when sat at your desk. Many people feel a little awkward or ashamed to ask for support with their pain at work, but this is exactly why occupational health are there in the first place, so use them.
Professional Help
While these simple strategies can go some way to alleviating your painful symptoms, they may not give you the pain free existence that you were hoping for. This doesn’t mean that you should continue taking painkillers in vast amounts, but it does mean that you should see a medical professional, at a clinic such as Neuragenex Victoria, TX.
All too often doctors will tell you that there is little to be done for muscle pain or soft tissue damage. However, when you’re still suffering a decade later, you know that something must be wrong. Don’t allow yourself to be shooed out of the surgery. If this happens, see another doctor.
Doctors are usually very keen to help their patients achieve a better quality of life. Often they will suggest cutting back on the painkillers and trying new approaches. A doctor may suggest a scan, an x-ray or some physiotherapy to try and restore movement. While you might not receive a definitive diagnosis, your pain is still real.
Your pain is also real if the doctor subtly suggests that your aches and niggles could be psychological. Kids often have real stomach aches when they are nervous. People get palpitations when stressed. And some individuals are actually sick when under too much pressure at work. Your niggles and pain could be caused by something you haven’t even considered. Are you under stress at work? Are you grieving? Or have you recently gone through a relationship break up? All of these emotionally turbulent times can cause physical pain. If this rings true for you, try talking therapy or using your support network of family and friends to try and alleviate some of your emotional stress. This could help banish your aches and pains.
Having chronic pain can be debilitating, but it needn’t be lifelong. While you might not be able to banish them totally, you can alleviate the symptoms enough to help you lead a more fulfilling existence. Life is for living so use this guide to help inspire your quest for better pain management.