It’s an unfortunate truth that many of us have to deal with pain. Whether it’s just occasionally – like when you accidentally hit your elbow on something – or more long-term in nature – like recovering from surgery or living with a pain-producing disease – navigating life with a pain body can be a total bummer.
Pain can be caused by a number of reasons. Tight muscles can be painful, as can nerve issues like neuropathy. If you have arthritis, you know firsthand how painful that can be. Same if you live with painful conditions like Fibromyalgia.
Sometimes pain is mild, where you can just move along through your day being pretty unaffected. An example of this is something like having a mild headache that’s slightly annoying but not at all debilitating or having sore muscles from working out too intensely. Other times pain is more epic in nature, causing you to remain in bed and/or reach for pain-relieving methods.
Being in pain isn’t ideal. Thankfully, there are some ways we can cope as we heal.
Techniques to help
You’ve probably heard about the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, elevation) that’s commonly prescribed by doctors. There are some definite benefits to all of those options, depending on what’s causing your pain. I know for me, sometimes ice feels helpful, and other times heat is more my friend. Listen to your body and notice what’s helping you in that moment.
Self-massage is another fabulous technique to aid in pain relief. Depending on what’s causing the pain, rubbing the affected areas can help with muscle soreness, nerve issues, fascia adhesions, etc. I’ll often go for double help and use a CBD massage oil to give me extra relief as I give myself a massage.
Gently stretching your body can also help lower your pain levels, as long as it’s not contraindicated (meaning your doctor didn’t tell you to avoid movement). Paying close attention to the signals our bodies give helps us compassionately stretch our muscles, increase lymphatic movement, and bringing in more oxygen to the cranky areas.
I know for my body, there are times when no amount of massage or gentle movement will relieve the pain. In those times, I need to bring in other pain relievers to help me get from being on the verge of tears to a happier place.
In the past, I took a lot of ibuprofen to help manage my pain. While it’s not something heavy-duty like a prescription pain pill, it still comes with some pretty crappy side effects.
If you’re a frequent pill popper, take a moment to look up what the side effects are of those pills – be it Tylenol or something more hardcore. I had no idea that ibuprofen was contributing to my high blood pressure. Seems like one of my many specialists would have alerted me to that fact at some point. While I’d *never* tell you to stop taking your meds, it is important to research and then talk with your doctor about your concerns so that you can be guided into the best options for you.
One thing that’s helped me so freaking much in my pain relief is regularly using CBD products. I can’t imagine my life without them at this point. As long as you find a reputable company (here’s my go-to source), there’s not a huge downside to working with CBD for pain relief.
Side note: If you’re a TW member and are interested in learning more about CBD, be sure to check out the March 2022 monthly focus, beginning with my Expert Interview with an integrative medicine physician and her CBD course co-creator. Also, they’re offering 25% off of their CBD course for TW members, so be sure to keep your eyes open for that.
When it comes to pain, be sure to listen to those pain cues from your body. They’ll help guide you, showing you when you need to pause and let yourself heal.