

Life with chronic pain can be….well, more than one person can bear at times. But we can, and must, continue on. We can do better than just exist. We can, in fact, thrive in many ways. In order to do that, though, we need to take purposeful steps to manage our pain.
Reach Out to Your Tribe
While living with chronic pain can make one feel alone, the truth is we don’t have to be. Reaching out to your tribe, those that know you and are there for you no matter what, will help you get through those tough moments. Not everyone is up for the task, but those you are closest to will be there through it all.
Being open and honest with them will help them not to feel helpless as they watch you in agony. It’s important, I’ve found, to make sure to educate them right even as you educate yourself on what your condition means. That way they can better support you and know why you may cancel something at the last moment or snap at them when it seems pretty random.
While I do rely on my family and friends, I’ve also created a tribe of those living with chronic illness online that have been a great help. Although our situations may be different, we understand one another very well. The online chronic pain community is very sharing and supportive. Through these groups, I’ve connected with individual chronic illness bloggers who I have learned so much from. They have
Helpful Online Chronic Pain Groups to Join:
- Fed Up With Fatigue by Donna Burch
- My Several Worlds by Carrie Kellenberger
- A Chronic Voice by Sheryl Chan
- Brainless Blogger by Nikki Albert
These Facebook groups have introduced me to so many wonderful people who live with chronic pain and illness,
too many for me to list all that have positively impacted my wellness journey.
Work to Improve Your Sleep
Loss of sleep has one of the biggest impacts on our ability to manage pain. Those living with pain call loss of sleep due to pain levels painsomnia. Another issue that can steal sleep is side-effects of medication that we take to help better our symptoms. Low Dose Naltrexone that I take is known for causing insomnia. So, learning what affects you and how you can mitigate their effects on your amount and quality of sleep. For example, to combat LDN’s impact on my ability to fall asleep, I take quality CBD oil an hour or so before going to bed.
Improving your sleep is the first thing doctors focus on. It’s important for your overall pain management. I hear your incredulous laughter through the screen. Yes, I know, way easier said than done. However, it’s not impossible to at least get a few more quality winks. I’ve worked to find what helps me.
- First, I set a goal of sleep by 10:00 pm and up no latter than 7:30 am. I’m not perfect with this, as I’m not with any of my health protocols, and I pay for it every single time I stay up too late.
- I don’t have visual technology in my bedroom. However, I do use my tablet to play a guided meditation or an audiobook. I have a wonderful Bluetooth eye-mask with earbuds that I wear while listening. It gently holds my eyes close (which sometimes feels like a struggle for me) and keeps out all the light.
- I use Calm and Insight Timer for guided meditation.
- I take quality . 25 mg CBD oil that an hour before going to bed.
- I do some gentle stretches in bed: Supine Windshield Wiper pose, Happy Baby pose, Eagle Arm pose sitting or laying down, and Supine Spinal Twist to name a few. Basically, I do whatever feels good.
- I breathe, purposefully, using belly breathing. I breathe gently through my nose in 4-6 counts, hold for 4 counts, release for 8 counts, hold for four and continue. Often, I place my right hand on my chest and my left hand on my stomach.
- If all else fails, I get up and move to the couch. I try to not feel panicked because it’s been my pattern to struggle a couple of nights and then sleep for a few.
Windshield Wiper Pose Happy Baby Pose Eagle Arm and leg pose Supine Twist pose
These are easy to do in bed as long as my husband isn’t in it!
Move
Extensive research shows that movement helps curb chronic pain; it is especially good for those living with Fibromyalgia. When I was in Physical therapy, I learned that by doing 20-minutes of brisk walking brought about immediate pain quelling as well as raised my mood and energy. My PT said that if I did this consistently, I would begin to notice that if I started to walk, the endorphins would kick in earlier because the body was used to this pattern and would anticipate the need for more. These endorphins are your body’s pain relievers and anti-depressants. Make sure, though, to keep your exercise within pacing levels that match your needs (see below post). Often gentler forms of exercise are best such as Tai Chi, walking, and yoga. Always let your doctor know what you’re doing, getting approval based on your condition.
Find an exercise that you enjoy. For me, I love getting into nature. Walking, kayaking, and swimming are some of my favorites during the warmer seasons. In the winter here in Michigan, I have to contend with snow, but I have discovered snowshoeing is really enjoyable and provides support with poles. Inside movement for me is yoga and elliptical and when I can, swimming at the local gym’s pool that is warm because it’s used for therapy, too. At the same community gym, I was able to try beginning Tai Chi, and I would like to try more of that.
When I say yoga, there are styles that work for me and styles that actually hurt. I’ve come to really enjoy and appreciate chair yoga, Yin yoga, restorative yoga, and gentle Hatha yoga. Chair yoga allows me to have support yet get needed stretches where my muscles can relax. Yin yoga allows me to hold a pose while slowly getting deeper into the stretch. Restorative is luscious, in that I use all sorts of props to support my body to again allow my muscles to let go. Hatha is more what people consider the “routine” of yoga, but I really focus on diaphragmatic breathing while I’m doing it. I’ve recently had to be careful with moving up and down quickly due to getting dizzy. I subscribe to Gaia.com which offers all sorts of levels, styles, and lengths.
Yoga can be done anywhere and doesn’t have to have a mat.
For me it’s about moving and stretching while focusing on my breathing.
Related Post:
- The Benefits of Nordic Walking For Those Living with Fibro and Chronic Pain
- Lessons Learned in Mother Nature: Managing my Fibro Symptoms
- The Central Nervous System, Restorative Yoga, and Fibromyalgia
- Boom and Bust! Pacing is Hard
Alternative Treatments
Every one of us is different. Our body chemistries and reasons for our chronic pain make it impossible to have a once size fits all treatment. So, unfortunately we need to try things out to see what will work for us. I suggest doing something for a few weeks (without any other changes in your management protocol) to see if it actually helps.
One supplement that helps many people with chronic pain is turmeric, but for me, I really didn’t find that it made any difference in my pain symptoms. Alternative treatments like myofascial release and massage, meditation, ACT counseling, and daily supplements like magnesium, quality CBD oil, B12, and SAM-e have helped me with not only lessening the level of pain but helping increase my energy level, reduce brain fog, and up my overall mood. For me, the biggest help I’ve had has come from an off-label prescription medication called Low Dose Naltrexone. I’ve been on it for four months, and it’s amazing the difference between the before and after.
There are many alternative treatments for pain relief and some are total frauds. It’s hard as one who struggles with chronic pain to not voraciously try everything, spending precious money that we can’t afford. I’ve fallen for a few duds. To avoid that, I now only try those things that have been recommended by those who have really shown to know what they’re talking about, and I do much more research. In the future, I do have a few things I want to try: FAB treatments (see post below), reflexology (probably doing it on myself via video tutorials as I do for the myofascial release), a physical therapist trained myofascial release, and acupuncture (which my insurance covers for 10 visits).
Related Posts:
- Mind Over Matter: 21 Days of Meditation
- Tentatively Ecstatic! My Experience With Low Dose Naltrexone Part 1
- Come So Far! Last Summer to This
- FAB Health Book Review
- World Reflexology Week
Chronic pain can be a life-impacting, blunting your spirit and your ability to enjoy life. However, we can take action steps that will help us manage the pain so that we can enjoy FULLY living our lives despite the constant pain.