- Anne-Marie Mougeot
Simple Tips on Managing Pain Flare-Ups
šš²šāš šš®š¹šø š®šÆš¼šš š½š®š¶š» š³š¹š®šæš² šš½š. ⣠⣠If you live with chronic or recurrent pain, you probably already know what Iām talking about š£.ā£ ā£ š š±š¢šŖšÆ š§šš¢š³š¦ š¶š± šŖš“ š¢ š“š¶š„š„š¦šÆ š£š°š¶šµ š°š§ šŖšÆšµš¦šÆš“š¦ š°š³ š¢šØšØš³š¢š·š¢šµš¦š„ š±š¢šŖšÆ š“šŗš®š±šµš°š®š“. ⣠ā£

Flare ups can happen for a number of reasons, are usually spontaneous and sometimes can be attributed to certain triggers, while other times occur seemingly randomly. ⣠⣠Paying attention to factors that may trigger a flare up can help to identify situations where they may arise and therefore help you to intervene sooner, before the intensity ramps up. ⣠⣠Regardless of when or why flare ups happen, it can be helpful to have a āš§šš¢š³š¦ š¶š± š±šš¢šÆā at your disposal to help you to get through them. ā£ ā£ ā£ šš²šæš² š®šæš² šš¼šŗš² ššš“š“š²ššš¶š¼š»š ššµš®š šŗš®š šÆš² šµš²š¹š½š³šš¹:⣠⣠~Experiment with heat & cold. A hot or cold pack, shower, or bath š can help to ease pain. ⣠⣠~Gentle, positive movement. ⣠⣠~Meditation.⣠⣠~Distraction (watch a funny movie, talk to a friend on the phone, read a book, or other hobby if it can be done comfortably).⣠⣠~Sit or walk outside.⣠⣠~Breathing exercises.⣠⣠~Listening to music, podcasts, or comedy.⣠⣠~Going for a massage, acupuncture, osteopathy, or other treatment if it has been helpful to you in the past (make sure your practitioner is familiar with your personal situation) ⣠⣠~Medication, as prescribed or guided by your medical practitioner.⣠⣠~Reaching out to a practitioner who can guide you with pain-management strategies if you need additional support . ⣠⣠It can be helpful to have a list of ideas of things to try since flare ups can sometimes feel overwhelming and affect our ability to think clearly (anyone else experience brain fog š„ŗ as a symptom?). ⣠⣠And remember that however intense, inconvenient, and downright crappy a flare up can be, šŖšµ šŖš“ šµš¦š®š±š°š³š¢š³šŗ. You šš¶š¹š¹ feel better. Be gentle with yourself and please reach out if you need support.
Do you experience pain flare-ups? What seems to help you to get through them? Let me know in the comments section below.
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