How to Deal with Chronic Pain – Part 2
In part 1 of our blog series, ‘How to Deal with Chronic Pain’, we looked at what is defined as chronic pain and some of the causes, along with the support you may receive from the NHS. In part 2 we are looking at lifestyle. There are many ways in which you can support your brain and body by the lifestyle choices you make every day. The foods you choose to eat, how active you can be and working on improving your sleep, are a few of the ways you can make a real difference to the pain you may be feeling daily. At first glance, you may think making any changes will be a large mountain to climb but we will break them down and see how you can start with some little differences.
Diet and Nutrition to Support Chronic Pain
Let us first consider nutrition. It may surprise you what choosing a healthy diet with a high-level of anti-inflammatory foods can do for your chronic pain. Some of the most anti-inflammatory foods include:
- Fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel, they are not only a great source of protein they also contain omega-3 fatty acids.
- Greens, in particular broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts, are cruciferous vegetables and contain antioxidants.
- Berries, contain an antioxidant called anthocyanins, compounds with anti-inflammatory effects.
- Turmeric, contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory compound.
- Dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa), meaning a treat doesn’t have to be off limits.
You can also look at increasing your plant intake. Aiming for 30 varieties of plants a week will improve the condition of your gut microbiome, which can improve psychological and neurological health with an increase of beneficial neurotransmitters and hormones. The communication between the Central Nervous System and gut microbiome is referred to as the gut-brain axis, with information being passed both ways. This means what happens in your gut is directly impacting your brain.
Simple substitutions can be made to increase your intake of both plants and anti-inflammatory foods. Try adding some extra broccoli to your meal, swap your pasta for quinoa or sprinkle some berries on your porridge in the morning. These changes don’t have to be big but taking some time to look at what you’re eating and how it can help you might have some positive changes to the way you feel.
Getting, and Staying, Active
Studies have shown that regular exercise promotes pain relief. This one could seem really tricky, particularly if you’re struggling with chronic pain. The best way is to be realistic with where you are at this moment in time. If you are in a position that standing is painful look into exercises you can do sitting down. If you can walk to the end of your road, can you try going an extra 10 metres? Or maybe you could try walking it a bit quicker. Resistance training, using weights, is also beneficial. It will help to increase your muscle strength, supporting your body. This particularly helps counteract age-related muscle loss. Do remember that each day is different, what you managed to complete yesterday might not be the same as today. Try and find a way of exercising that you enjoy. If you can, get some friends and family involved, you can hold each other accountable and give each other some extra encouragement. If you are unsure, do seek help from a medical professional to give you guidance on what would be best for you.
Improving Sleep
We all know that pain and sleep don’t tend to go well together. Pain and discomfort are a common reason to be lying awake at night, but poor sleep is likely to significantly impact your pain tolerance. Finding ways to promote relaxation and quiet the mind are positive ways to help you drift off at night. Getting daily fresh air will improve your oxygen levels, improving sleep and exposing yourself to natural light when you first wake up, improves your body’s natural circadian rhythm. Be sure to turn off screens before heading to bed as the blue light they produce suppress the production of melatonin, which is the hormone essential for sleep. Establish a bedtime routine which allows your brain and body time to relax and unwind before drifting off into a deep sleep and be sure to open the curtains when you first wake up.
Change can take time to get used to. Don’t try altering too many things at once and start small. When you can build these new habits into your life, and you see the positive affect they are having on your chronic pain, you’ll be thankful to your past self for taking those initial small steps. In our next, and final part, of this blog series we will be looking at helping your mental health and how chiropractic treatment might be able to play a part in your strategies for managing your chronic pain. If you are in Scotland and in need of some help for your mental health do visit the NHS Inform website. It has a self-help guide which uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you live with chronic pain.
