What Is Chronic Pain?

WHAT IS CHRONIC PAIN?

Chronic pain is pain that continues for three months or more, and which may not respond to standard medical treatment. It can be disabling and frustrating for people to manage, and it can affect relationships with family, friends and work colleagues.

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The brain is the processing centre for messages coming from all over the body. These messages enable you to feel things like heat, cold, touch and pain. Nerves carry messages from all areas of your body to the spinal cord then up to the brain. IF MESSAGES ABOUT PAIN DO NOT REACH THE BRAIN YOU WILL NOT FEEL PAIN.

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Included in the following advice are ways that you can reduce the amount of messages that reach the brain, thereby helping to alleviate your pain.

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DON’T……

Overdo it

Doing too much when you have a good day is not the way to manage your pain. Break things up into manageable tasks, and take a break BEFORE you need it.

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Have an unhealthy diet

Eating too much sugary food, and drinking too much coffee will put more stress on your already stressed body. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, and drink lots of water to avoid getting constipated.

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Think negatively

Negative thinking such as ‘I’ll never get better’ or ‘Why did this happen to me?’ won’t help your situation, and can even make you feel worse.

DO…..

Think positively

Acceptance of your condition is not about giving up, but recognising that you need to take more control with regard to self-managing your pain.

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Take your medication

Taking your painkillers will allow you to remain active - don’t wait until the pain gets too much before taking it.

Distract yourself

Keeping yourself occupied will help to distract your mind from the pain. Read an interesting book; arrange to meet a friend for coffee;do a jigsaw puzzle or watch a good film.

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Stay active

Gentle exercise is essential as it stops your muscles and joints getting too stiff. Even walking round the house will help if you don’t feel up to going out.

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Get enough sleep

If you find yourself awake at 3am worrying about things that need to be done, leave a pen and paper by your bedside and write a ‘worry’ list. Add a time that you will set aside during the day to deal with them. This technique tricks the brain into believing the problems are dealt with, and will help you sleep.

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Ask for help

Don’t expect your friends and family to be mind readers as they are not usually very good at it. Explain how you feel calmly and clearly. Be confident enough to say no if you don’t feel up to doing something. If people are able to understand you better, you will feel less alone in coping with your pain.

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Use a relaxation technique

Music is a very powerful medium:research has discovered that listening to music for an hour a day can ease back pain by a fifth. Lie down for 20 minutes and listen to your favourite music whilst imagining yourself somewhere beautiful. Practise the following breathing technique until you can do it automatically without using your hands.

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RELAXED BREATHING

This exercise is best learned lying down, but once learned, it can be done whenever you feel in pain, and to prevent stress building up. Just a few breaths will help!

Place one hand on your upper chest and one on your stomach, just below your ribs.

As you gently breathe in through your nose, allow your stomach to rise, keeping your chest fairly still. Keep this movement gentle. Relaxed breathing doesn’t mean deep breathing.

Slowly and evenly, breathe out through your nose, feeling your stomach going back down.

Breath at a pace that feels natural for you. Again, be aware of the hand on your stomach rising while the hand on your upper chest hardly moves.

Pain Concern Listening Ear

0844 499 4676

Action on Pain

0845 6031593

Fareham Area Disability Forum

01329 826245

Gosport Disability Information Centre

023 9260 4688

Havant Borough Disability Access Gp

02392474174

Friends Through Pain

MANAGING

CHRONIC PAIN