We all need to exercise, but pain may keep you from being as active as you should be. The problem is, when you do not exercise, muscles get weaker and you may suffer from even more pain. Try to be as active as you can because exercise releases endorphins, chemicals that ease pain and boost your mood. Just 30 minutes of aerobic exercise will do the trick, releasing endorphins that decrease your perception of pain. Ask your doctor what kinds of aerobic exercises are appropriate for you as part of your chronic pain management. Remember, a well-rounded exercise program includes strength training and stretching activities, too.

Mind-body interventions including deep breathing, biofeedback, and meditation may help you get a handle on chronic pain. In some studies, meditation helped older adults with low back pain or osteoarthritis cope better and experience improved function. In another study, older and younger adults experienced significantly less pain after participating in a biofeedback trial. Tai chi with deep diaphragmatic breathing may help ease symptoms from a variety of chronic pain conditions including fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and low back pain. Ask your doctor which interventions are appropriate for you and your chronic pain symptoms.

There is a link between sleep and pain management. Studies have shown that sleep disruptions may trigger chronic pain. They may also increase the risk of developing depression which exacerbates chronic pain. You may be tempted to reach for a night cap before nodding off, but an alcoholic drink before bedtime can hurt your ability to sleep more than it helps. A drink may help you fall sleep in the short-term, but alcohol reduces deep, restorative REM sleep. You may also be more likely to wake up during the night if you had a drink or two before bedtime. Set the stage for a good night’s sleep and less pain by having a cup of tea or warm milk before bed instead of an alcoholic drink.

What does smoking do to chronic pain patients? Many people reach for cigarettes in an effort to try to self-medicate chronic pain, but it is not a good idea. Smoking may bring short-term relief of stress and pain, but tobacco use is associated with many detrimental health effects that may increase pain in the long run. Smoking slows wound healing, increases the risk of degenerative disc disease, causes rheumatoid arthritis, and impedes circulation-increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. All of these may lead to increased chronic pain. If you smoke, quit. If you need help quitting, ask your doctor for medications and treatment programs that can help you kick the habit for good.

What’s your chronic pain diet plan? Eating a healthy diet that is high in anti-inflammatory foods such as lean protein, colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats keeps your body strong and helps boost your defenses against pain. Omega-3 fatty acids like those found in oily fish such as salmon may be very beneficial for inflammatory pain conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis. Anti-inflammatory compounds called flavonoids, such as alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) found in foods like broccoli and spinach, may help ease the pain from diabetic neuropathy. This also applies for vitamin E. Ask your doctor what kind of diet is appropriate for your pain condition.

A pain journal is a tool that can help both you and your doctor track your symptoms, assess treatment effectiveness, and plan a future course of action. Keep track of your daily pain by recording a pain score between 1 and 10 at the end of every day. Take notes about the activities you did that day and how you felt while doing them. Bring your scores and these notes and share them with your doctor the next time you have an appointment. This will help your health care professional get a better idea of how your condition is progressing, how your treatment is working, and if any adjustments should be made. Your chronic pain diary can help you keep track of potential pain triggers, too.

If you suffer from chronic pain, massage therapy may help. It is necessary to make time for relaxation and to set limits on your activities. Doing too much and being overly tired may make your pain symptoms worse. Learn to say no to parties and events that will sap your energy. Make regular appointments with a masseuse to unwind with some relaxing massage. Maybe you always feel energized after seeing certain good friends. Make time for people and activities that boost your spirits and make you feel better. Learn to say no to people and activities that bring you down and may aggravate your symptoms. Get in tune with your inner self. Listen to the wisdom you have within to live better day today.

Pain draws your attention, but paying attention to your pain will probably make it worse. Does distraction help with pain? Evidence suggests that it does. Distraction is a powerful technique that draws your attention away from your symptoms, so you may feel less pain. Researchers think distraction inhibits incoming pain signals that travel up the spinal cord and are received by the brain. So, get busy to feel less pain. Join a book club, learn to play tennis, or take a cooking class. You may not be able to control your pain, but you may be able to lessen how intense it feels. Knitting and doing crossword puzzles are less physically active ways to distract yourself from chronic pain.

Your health care provider may use X-rays, blood tests, and other tests to diagnose your chronic pain condition. The doctor uses these results along with those from a physical exam and a description of your symptoms to devise a treatment plan. Your doctor may recommend one or more pain medications as part of your pain management plan. It is a good idea to understand how both over-the-counter and prescription pain medicines work. Monitor yourself for potential side effects. Ask your doctor if alternative medicine strategies such as acupuncture, mindfulness-based meditation, and other related therapies are appropriate for you. Take medications as directed by your doctor. Go to physical therapy if it is prescribed. Follow your doctor’s instructions regarding all of your therapies and speak up if you suffer any change in symptoms or side effects. Be an active participant in your chronic pain treatment.

Social support goes a long way in helping you cope with chronic pain. One study in patients who had fibromyalgia found that those who were in the presence of their significant other experienced less pain and less pain sensitivity compared to those who were alone. Social support improves mood, boosts well-being, and helps you cope with your chronic pain condition. Do not isolate yourself. Go out and meet friends, connect with your family, or invite loved ones to your home if you are not able to get out. Ask for help if you need it. Educate yourself about your condition and let others close to you know what you are going through and what you need.

Doctors may suggest a variety of over-the-counter medications (OTC) to treat chronic pain from headaches, arthritis, and other conditions. Acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are two OTC pain relief medications. Just because they are available over-the-counter does not mean they may not be associated with serious side effects. Taking too much acetaminophen can cause liver damage, especially if it is combined with alcohol. NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen decrease pain and inflammation, but they also increase the risk of ulcers and bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. NSAIDs may also cause kidney damage and high blood pressure. These medications can also interfere with blood pressure medication. Follow directions when taking chronic pain medications.

Your doctor may use prescription medications to treat severe chronic pain, such as neuropathic pain, chronic migraines, arthritis, severe headaches, low back pain, cancer pain, or another chronic pain syndrome. Opioid medications, or narcotics, may be used in cases of severe pain, but they can be addictive. Tramadol (Ultram), oxycodone (Endocet), and morphine are opioid medications. They work by changing the brain’s perception of pain. Narcotics may trigger constipation. Drink plenty of water and eat colorful fruits and vegetables to get adequate fiber to keep things moving.

Medications used to treat seizure disorders and depression may also be used for chronic pain. Antidepressants may help relieve pain by altering levels of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Anti-seizure medications alter help alter pain signals that travel to the brain. Antidepressants may be associated with side effects like changes in appetite, sleep disturbance, dry mouth, fatigue, dizziness, and irritability. Anticonvulsants may cause side effects like fatigue, dizziness, tremor, rash, weight gain, nausea, and sleepiness. Nerve blocks are injectable medications that interrupt pain signals and decrease inflammation at a specific location. Muscle relaxants are another type of medication that may be prescribed for some types of pain. Take medications as prescribed and tell your doctor right away if you experience any side effects.

An ancient Chinese therapy, acupuncture, is proven to be effective for the treatment of chronic pain. The best part is the benefits seem to last over time. Studies prove acupuncture is effective for headaches, chronic musculoskeletal, and osteoarthritis pain. Acupuncture involves the placement of needles into specific points on the body. Studies have shown that acupuncture is only effective for pain relief when the practitioner places needles in actual, proven points on the body. When needles are placed in sham points on the body, acupuncture is not associated with pain relief benefits.

If you suffer from chronic pain, music therapy may help you feel better. So turn on relaxing, pleasant music. In a study of people who suffer from fibromyalgia, those who listened to music they enjoyed experienced reductions in both acute pain and chronic pain. Listening to pleasant music also led to an increase in patients’ functional mobility. Researchers think music leads to a reduction in pain via both cognitive and emotional mechanisms. What kind of music should you listen to? The types of music patients in the study listened to varied according to their age and cultural background. The most important thing is to choose music that you enjoy and that makes you feel good.

If you feel anxious or stressed, a quick time-out can help. Try this simple yoga move. Stand straight, legs together. As you breathe in, raise your arms high over your head. Bend forward at your hips as you breathe out, keeping your upper body aligned. Grasp your calves or ankles. Breathe deeply and hold about a minute. Breathe in and slowly come back up, head and arms loose and relaxed, to standing.

Arthritis is the usual suspect if you have hand pain. Give this hardworking body part a break with this mini finger workout. Point your hand upward, fingers close together. Slowly touch your index finger to your thumb to make an “O.” Move your thumb on to the middle finger and do the same, and so on to your ring finger and pinkie. Smoothly repeat these motions several times with each hand.

Your hips can get stiff, especially if you sit for much of the day. This yoga pose offers them a well-deserved stretch. Lie on your back with knees bent. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee. Bring your legs toward your chest. Grab the bottom leg below the knee to hold the pose. For a more intense stretch, pull gently.

You’re having a lovely dream, then … ouch! A painful foot spasm jolts you awake. Reasons for this sudden muscle stiffness can include dehydration or poor circulation. Grab a towel and sit. Stretch your legs in front of you, pointing the toes of the cramped foot toward the ceiling. Loop the towel around your foot and hold the ends with both hands. Lift your leg until you feel a nice stretch.

Suffer from tension headaches? It can help to build strength in your neck and shoulders, a Danish study found. Try this super-simple stretch to support the neck muscles that keep your head upright and ease stress in your head and neck. Bring your chin toward your throat in a gentle nod. Hold for 10 seconds, and repeat 10 times.

A whopping 80% to 90% of Americans have back pain during their lifetimes. The main cause? Back strain. Try a pelvic tilt exercise. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten your stomach muscles as you press the small of your back to the floor. Hold for 5 seconds, and then relax. Repeat several times. Try to build up to 10.

Sciatica is pain along the nerve that runs from the back of your pelvis down the back of your thigh. Try stretching the piriformis, the muscle from your lower spine to the top of your thigh. Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Lift the leg on the side that hurts and cross that ankle over the opposite knee. Gently bend forward from the hips. Hold for 15-30 seconds, and release. What are the types of prescription pain relievers

If you have pain in your heel — around where tissue in the arch of your foot connects to your heel bone — you might be one of about 3 million people who have plantar fasciitis. Age, being overweight, and standing on a hard surface a lot can all figure into it. Place a small towel on the floor. With your painful foot, reach for the towel with your toes. Curl your foot to bring the towel toward you with only your toes. Relax and repeat 10 times. What are the types of prescription pain relievers

Menstrual cramps can bring pain to your stomach, lower back, pelvis, and upper legs. But some good stretches and moderate exercise can help. Try cobra, a classic yoga pose. Lie on your stomach, legs and feet together. Place your hands under your shoulders and lift your head and shoulders, straightening your arms. Breathe, and let your stomach expand on the inhale and soften on the exhale. Hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds. Relax and repeat. What are the types of prescription pain relievers

You know that energy-sucking slump that strikes about midday? Here’s an instant-boost move you can do without even standing up. Roll your shoulders back. Now raise your arms high and wide — like a bracing morning yawn. Look up and take a deep breath in, then out. What are the types of prescription pain relievers

Staring at digital devices, driving long distances, web surfing … all can tire your eyes. Refresh your peepers with an easy eye exercise. Keep your head still as you look up and focus your eyes as high as you can and then as low as you can. Do this as often as 10 times a day. You can try it in a “round-the-clock” sequence, too, finding hour marks on a huge imaginary clock face. What are the types of prescription pain relievers

You’ll usually see a doctor for an injury to your hamstring. This is the muscle in the back of your thigh that helps extend your leg and bend your knee. But for a milder strain, try this gentle exercise. Sit with your unhurt leg straight out on the floor, your affected leg bent. Press the heel of the bent leg to the floor. This will tighten your hamstring. Hold the pose for about 6 seconds, rest about 10 seconds, and repeat. What are the types of prescription pain relievers

Just the name sounds painful, but it’s a common issue for runners and other athletes. It means pain along the inner edge of your shinbone. It can crop up after strenuous activity or when you start a new exercise routine. Find a set of stairs and try this. Stand on a step, weight on the hurt leg. Slowly raise your heel, then lower it past the edge of the step. Do three sets of 12. What are the types of prescription pain relievers

Carpal tunnel syndrome is triggered by pressure on the major nerve in your hand as it goes through the wrist. Your hand and arm might ache or go numb or prickly. Try the prayer stretch. Place your palms together in front of your chest as you slowly lower your hands toward your waist until you feel a stretch in your upper wrists. Hold for 15-30 seconds. What are the types of prescription pain relievers

Sometimes it’s hard to enjoy the moment when your mind is stuck on a long, crazy day or a draining event. To reset, try this body scan exercise. Lie on your back, legs extended, arms at sides with palms up. Starting with your toes, focus with purpose on each body part as your mind travels up or down. Take note of any thoughts and emotions attached to each part. What are the types of prescription pain relievers