Introduction
Chronic pain relief really is possible. I know you might not think it is but I know from personal experience and from the experience of many others who have shared their journeys on my podcast and from books I’ve read all about how to overcome chronic pain and actually get relief that it can be done. Keep reading to learn about the five things you must stop doing if you really want chronic pain relief.
First
Stop eating sugar. Yes I know it’s hard but sugar increases inflammation in the body and can make existing pain worse. Trust me, I’ve personally experienced a major increase in pain after eating or drinking anything with sugar in it. If your pain is severe enough, it won’t totally go away when you eat sugar but you will notice a difference. I’m not talking about sugar from fruit or foods that turn into sugar. Also natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and stevia don’t count. If you don’t believe me, I challenge you to give up sugar completely for 1 week and take note of how much better you feel and how much less pain you have.
Second
Stop dwelling on your pain and focusing on it. The more you dwell on your pain and the more you complain about it and think about it, the worse it will get. Chronic pain is largely psychological. If you don’t believe me, check out my podcast episode with Dr. Afton Hasslet from the psychology department at the University of Michigan. She has years of experience in working with patients with chronic pain and helping them overcome it through the mind. She is also the author of the book- Chronic Pain Reset: 30 Days to Overcome Chronic Pain.
Third
Stop sitting around all day and not moving and exercising. I know it hurts and I know it can hurt a lot. However, you really must move and you must move regularly and often to get rid of chronic pain. Stretching for at least a few minutes in the morning and doing some kind of gentle exercise such as swimming or yoga is the best. You can also try hot yoga at a place like Hotworx which gives you the benefits of heat from an infrared sauna with stretching and exercise. If you haven’t been moving, start slowly and work your way up. Ideally you should be getting at least 5,000 steps per day at least 6 days per week. The more you sit the worse it gets. There are studies that have been done that say that sitting all day is worse for your health than smoking.
Fourth
Stop eating processed foods and junk. I strive to make 90% of what I eat single ingredient foods. These are foods that have only 1 ingredient and therefore either no label, or in the case of canned vegetables or meats just the meat or vegetable with possibly some salt, or water added in. Most of what comes in a box or container is not good for your health and just like sugar it can significantly increase your pain. Many of these foods are also addictive, and can cause major inflammation and weight gain as well. If you aren’t sure if these are causing your pain, try giving them up for a week and journaling about how you feel
Fifth
Stop popping pills and taking over the counter medications all the time. These can actually make pain worse and you can get addicted. If you need some once in a while, then that is fine but be careful how much you take. See my blog post about natural pain solutions instead of ibuprofen. I know the struggle as I used to take ibuprofen daily or almost daily for years. However, I now haven’t taken any in nearly three years.
Keep going and take it one day at a time you really can get relief and look back on your journey with chronic pain and be proud of where you have come.
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