Living with chronic pain can significantly interfere with your quality of life. However, while chronic pain, in some instances, is unavoidable, many people can better manage their chronic pain symptoms and practice healthy lifestyle changes to help lessen their symptoms. Read to learn the common mistakes you can avoid to better manage your chronic pain symptoms.
- Ignoring your pain
Arguably one of the most significant mistakes when it comes to pain management is ignoring your pain altogether, hoping it will just disappear eventually on its own. While there are some cases where people with acute pain naturally heal with time, for people struggling with chronic pain, doing nothing is only making your situation worse. This is why, no matter if your pain is acute or chronic, it is essential to seek professional pain management care if your pain is interfering with your daily life. - Poor posture
Having poor posture can over time put an added strain on your muscles and joints and then can result in worsening pain symptoms. Although at first it may be difficult to correct your posture if you’ve gone your entire life with poor posture, try to make a conscious effort when you are sitting or standing. For instance, try to keep a straight and upright form and don’t slouch or slump on your desk. - Not getting enough sleep & rest
Sleep impacts a variety of different factors in your life from concentration to mental health, even your pain levels. Not getting enough quality sleep consistently can heighten your chronic pain symptoms as well as negatively affect other physical and mental areas in your life. - Not managing stress properly
Everyone experiences stress in their life. However, it’s important to effectively manage your stress levels, not just for the sake of your physical and mental well-being, but to help better manage your chronic pain symptoms. Excess stress build-up can lead to worsening pain symptoms. Therefore, consider incorporating healthy coping strategies into your daily routine like meditation or yoga to better manage your stress levels. - Having a poor diet
Your diet also can impact your chronic pain symptoms, for better or for worse. Eating an unbalanced diet filled with bad foods can increase inflammation in the body leading to worsening chronic pain symptoms. Try to limit the number of processed foods in your diet and consume more fruits, veggies, and whole grains to ensure your body is getting the right nutrients to better manage your chronic pain symptoms. - Not exercising enough
Not getting enough exercise is another common mistake chronic pain sufferers make. Oftentimes, many people opt for a sedentary lifestyle when suffering from chronic pain symptoms; however, this typically does more harm than good. Although you don’t want to overexert your body, practicing consistent exercise whether it be walking or swimming will help you maintain good physical health and strength, and not risk worsening your pain symptoms. - Abusing drugs or alcohol
Last but not least, unfortunately, some chronic pain sufferers may turn to drugs or alcohol as a means to cope with their pain symptoms. Inevitably, this can easily lead to dependency and developing a drug addiction. If you are struggling with chronic pain, it is essential you seek professional pain management to safely and effectively manage your pain symptoms, rather than turning to unhealthy coping strategies to temporarily reduce your pain symptoms.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a trusted and knowledgeable team of pain specialists located in Frederick Maryland, our pain management doctors in frederick MD are here to help. With decades of experience and a commitment to patient care and comfort, their team of professionals can provide relief from acute or chronic pain. So don’t wait any longer – schedule an appointment with Pain and Spine Specialists of Frederick Maryland today to start feeling better.