Consequences of Uncontrolled Chronic Pain

Pain is helpful in that it provides us a warning that something is going on in the body. It also forces us to rest our bodies to promote healing. Be that as it may, pain that is uncontrolled can lead to serious life consequences. Not only is it uncomfortable, inconvenient, and stressful, but a person suffering from pain can go down a path of destruction. Let's take a more detailed look at the consequences of uncontrolled pain management.

Unrelieved Pain has Consequences

Prolonged periods of pain will result in more than a hurt back or bum knee. When pain is not dealt with properly, it can lead to the follow issues.

• Decreased quality of life “ When you're in pain you can’t get around the way you once did, causing the quality of life to decrease.
• Anxiety or depression “ Not being able to get around like you used to and always feeling pain can lead to anxiety and depression.
• Weight loss “ Pain and eating often don't go hand in hand. As you deal with high levels of pain, your urge to eat will decrease causing you to lose weight.
• Increased blood pressure “ every time the body feels pain it increases the heart rate which in turn increases your blood pressure.
• Medication Abuse “ When pain is not properly managed it can get worse. This can lead to you increasing your dosage of prescribed medications to get relief. While this might seem beneficial, increasing doses without first talking with your doctor could lead to addiction, which would require you to seek treatment from facilities like the HARP rehab Palm Beach residents use.
• Muscle Spasms or Impaired Muscles “ Prolonged periods of unmanaged pain can lead to muscle spasms and/or impaired mobility of the muscles.

Tips for Properly Managing Pain

As you can see, pain can start off in one location of the body and impact your entire life. Whether you're dealing with back pain, a sports injury or recovering from a recent surgery, it is important to work with your doctors to come up with the best plan for managing your pain. Below are some tips to get you started:

1. Breathing Techniques

Believe it or not, meditation can be a very holistic approach to pain management. Deep breathing and meditation can help to relax the body and muscles. Just as expectant mothers are taught in Lamaze class, breathing deeply in and out can help you get through the pain without a need for medication. Practice deep breathing or meditating on a regular basis. This can help in between medication doses.

2. Get Rid of the Stress

Stress can increase your pain sensitivity. Learning to take control of your stress can help you to find instant relief from chronic pain. There are plenty of ways to reduce stress in your life. However, you should start by evaluating your life to see what areas need the most improvement.

3. Exercising

You're probably wondering how in the world you're going to exercise in pain, but it truly is a great, natural way to feel some relief. Exercising releases endorphins into the brain which help to improve your mood and block pain signals. Exercise is also great for helping to heal weak or fatigue parts of the body helping it to heal faster. If you're not up to doing strenuous exercises, try something as simple as walking for a few minutes each day.

4. Get a Massage

Massages are not just a luxury treat. They can actually be great ways to relieve chronic pain. Schedule a full body massage and ask the massage therapist to focus on the areas that are hurting you the most. Doing this on a monthly basis should help to relieve pain.

5. Find Distractions

Sometimes there is nothing you can do about the pain, in those instances, finding fun distractions can help keep your mind off of how much pain you're in at the moment. Spend time with friends and family, find a hobby, or read something inspirational to help get you through.

Pain is something that no one wants to experience for a long period of time. Unfortunately, there are many circumstances and health conditions that could result in a person experiencing pain for a long period of time. If you're dealing with constant pain, be sure to reach out to your doctor for a proper plan to keep the pain under control.