A Practical Guide to Chronic Pain Management by David Walton

Author:David Walton [David Walton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781785784897
Publisher: Icon Books Ltd
Published: 2019-03-16T16:00:00+00:00

Key Steps for Developing Your Plan

The experience of large charities supporting people with long-term illnesses (such as arthritis, diabetes, Parkinson’s and cancer) shows that self-management is fundamental for day-to-day control of chronic pain. Those with a strong sense of purpose and clear understanding of what needs to be done (that is, your plan) prosper.

Many people with chronic pain have found adopting the following approach helpful:

Being organised, proactive, positive, independent and open to things you haven’t tried before will determine how successful you will be.

Taking charge of your medical treatment by keeping track of symptoms, pain levels, medications and possible side effects will enable you to work with your doctor to determine what works best for you.

It’s important not to allow fatigue, which accompanies pain, to become overwhelming. It is a common problem that can be caused by the underlying disease process or the stress of living day to day with the pain and limitations of a chronic disease. Psychological well-being, stress management and CBT/mindfulness, as well as using natural therapies, can help. Sleep is important to maintain your resilience and avoid slipping into a low mood.

Even though it might seem like the last thing you want to do when you’re in pain, exercise is generally beneficial for your overall health. It can strengthen muscles that support painful joints, preserve and increase mobility, improve sleep quality, and boost your mood and sense of well-being. A pain management programme should include activities and exercise that both strengthen and relax muscles.

Using pain-friendly tools is important – anything from walking sticks or cushioned shoes to large handled can openers – depending on the types of pain you experience.

Healthy eating is also important in providing the body with energy to combat fatigue and in maintaining a proper weight. Eat a healthy balanced diet, adding foods with anti-inflammatory properties that are rich in antioxidants if you suffer from arthritic conditions (see pages 184–5).

Lighten your schedule and obligations, and ask for help when you need to. Pace yourself throughout your day and take breaks to conserve energy.

Understanding and identifying ways to overcome the anger, fear or depression that can aggravate pain can be an important part of a pain management programme. Mindfulness, avoiding rumination, and using cognitive therapy to avoid negative automatic thinking and improve psychological well-being can all help.

A key component of psychological well-being is doing things that engage you, give you a sense of purpose and, ideally, are of value or benefit to others. Having a clear sense of your own purpose and what will help you to achieve it develops your own mental health. And this is amplified by sharing it with other people, having friends outside your home and engaging with them regularly.

Set a specific plan for reviewing your progress on a regular basis. And take each day as it comes. You will have good days and bad days. Be flexible and keep to your plan as much as possible.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.