Pain Management

Here are 5 tips to managing pain from a psychological
perspective.

1) Since muscle tension around a pain area can increase
the perception of pain, finding a way to relax despite
the felt pain can help. Everyone is different regarding
what can help in a painful situation. Some strategies:
a) Diaphragmatic breathing( can be taught in minutes}
b) Hypnosis (can be taught for muscle relaxation in a
single session).
c) Mindfulness training (simple techniques taught in minutes)
d) Visualization (designed with individual preferences for
analgesic imagery) . There are many more simple
techniques for relaxation.

2) We have good and bad pain days. Take a break every day
from worry and thinking about symptoms. Call your doctor
if need be and let him/her worry or think about it. Mentally
practice this rest from fear or worry for as long as you want
or can. Its your moment or time to reclaim from pain.

3) Make a practice of focusing your mind on something that
is pleasurable whether or not your pain is significant. Realize
that a pleasure can co-exist with pain. Practice focusing
on the pleasureable sensation whether it involves touch, taste,
sound, sight or any other sense.

4) We sometimes think we know how a day will go depending
on how it starts. Practice letting go of knowing. Your muscles
may let go as well.

5) Watch your self talk. Telling yourself that your pain is horrible
may be true at times and sometimes continuously, but drop the
emotional adjective. "Its a 9 on the scale" is enough. It can
add to a lower sense of self. Our pain can feel bad, but we are
not our pain. It is something we have and we need not feel
bad about ourselves by remembering we are so much more
than the feeling od pain.