Medication Free Pain Management
Chronic and acute pain has much to teach. The messages from our body are always the truth. If there is a pain, you can bet there is an important message behind it! Finding ways to relieve pain without medication is an art. Here are some tips*:
Pay attention to the pain. Feel it. Describe it, and rate it by giving a number between one and ten. One is "the pain is barely there", 10 is "I can't stand it anymore" . Try on one of the techniques that follow below and rate it again. Has it lessened?
Make yourself comfortable. If you are standing, sit; if sitting, lie down or stand. Shift your position in the chair if you have to stay put. Uncross your legs, add a pillow. Use more pillows when sleeping.
Stay warm. Coldness causes tension.
Stay hydrated. Adequate water is needed for good blood flow and cellular health.
Breathe! Send your breath into the painful area. Take 3-5 minutes to relax that part of your body before taking your next dose. Maybe you can wait 30 minutes more.**
Gentle touch and light massage. Give yourself your own touch. Love the area, gently rock, jiggle and soothe with soft, light pressure. Stimulating circulation my give immediate relief.
Use imagery. Imagine you are lying in the sun on the beach, breathing in the salt sea air. Create an atmosphere of lightness and relaxation.
Ice and Heat. A fantastic way to regenerate the right relationship with your cells after trauma...3 minutes of heat and one minute of ice. Repeat 3 times, 2-3 times a day. This has helped me personally many times! (And many of my clients).
Treat your problem as if it just happened yesterday. Chronic pain is often a memory of the pain when it first happened. The injury has healed, but the memory has not. This is often the case if it has been more than 4 months and the pain is still present. Seek out a practitioner to help release the trauma in your tissues.***
Don't look for the pain. When we check to see if the pain is 'still there' we reinforce the painful pattern that started it. Instead, look for places in your body that feel good, and let that feeling be with you as you move.
You are not your Mother (Father, Grandparent). We tend to carry the pain of our ancestors with us. That could be genetic traits, learned behaviors or lifestyle habits that do not work for you now. Is it time to live your own life?
Seek out a qualified practitioner that can help you look at these patterns and work together to find solutions. Nurse coaches bridge the gap between traditional and non-traditional medicine. A nurse understands the complications of medication withdrawal and are skilled in helping you develop new tools for better health.****
*If you are already on pain medication be sure and check with your health practitioner if you have doubts about reducing or quitting your medicine.
** Pain medication is helpful temporarily. It can become a problem when used long term, like any other medication.
*** Let me help you learn to change the pain patterns in your body.
**** Free phone and in-person consultations M-F, 7-7
In Inspiration
