Pain management can often be about how you process your thoughts and feelings.
In spring 2015, the National Institutes for Health released a study looking at the issue of chronic pain in America. In all, at least 11 percent of U.S. adults live with this ongoing pain, which stems from a number of ailments and medical conditions. That includes at least some portion of the 6.5 million Americans who cope with chronic wounds (per figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). This pain can range from a mild annoyance to something profoundly debilitating.
Fortunately, there are several ways to deal with pain, especially stemming from most wound types.
Here are just a few tips to consider:
1. Get plenty of sleep
In general, a good night’s rest is beneficial for all aspects of your personal health. However, in September 2016, a research team from the University of Warwick released a study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine exploring the greater impacts of a proper sleep schedule. Specifically, people who don’t get at least eight hours of sleep a night have a much greater chance of experiencing chronic pain. The scientists believe that this lack of sleep impedes how the body processes pain, and that there may be a more direct link between the two than previously estimated.
2. Try a bit of distraction therapy
Though not necessarily a common way of dealing with pain, distraction therapy has been promoted by many doctors and clinicians. In this approach, people try an assortment of activities to distract themselves from the pain. The most common distractions include meditation, deep breathing exercises, listening to music and acupuncture. According to a 2012 study in the journal Psychological Science, distraction therapy does work, as there were quantifiable reductions in pain experienced by participants.
3. Use the power of your mind
Distraction therapy is only one way you can use your brain to help reduce pain. According to Spine-Health, there are several other pain-treating methods that involve thinking exercises. One is called dissociation, in which you pretend the affected body part is separate from your mind. Doing so is meant to make the pain feel distant and not in that exact moment. Or, you can try sensory splitting – in which you only focus on part of the pain, like the burning sensation or tingling. By placing all your focus away from the pain, you may experience a huge swell of relief.
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