Three Lifestyle Changes to Help Ease Chronic Pain
It’s important that we don’t always view pain as a strictly physical phenomenon. Science is showing that lifestyle factors play a HUGE role in the amount of pain we experience.
If you’re dealing with chronic pain it’s important to incorporate these lifestyle changes so you can make to find SUSTAINABLE pain relief.
1. Nutrition
Chronic Inflammation can predispose our bodies to chronic pain. Eating diets high in sugar and processed foods contributed to inflammation that sensitizes our pain receptors and thus…chronic pain. Eating more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats decreases the inflammation in our bodies and can help decrease the pain we experience.
2. Meditation
Studies have shown that increase levels of stress contribute to the pain we experience on a daily basis. Daily meditation has been shown to decrease stress levels in the body and can be useful in easing chronic pain. We use the ‘HEadspace’ App for 10 minutes everyday to calm our mind, decrease stress and help ease pain.
3. Sleep
Sleep impacts pain. You may have noticed when you sleep poorly and are tired you pain tends to be worse. Studies have shown that one of the most important predictors of pain intensity is the number of hours slept the night before. If you’re having trouble falling asleep..try improving you nighttime routine by turning off the TV and phone prior to bed time.
As a chiropractor and movement specialists it’s easy to get wrapped up in the physical aspect of pain. And while movement and manual therapy is important in helping the body heal, it will be short lived if we’re dealing with chronic stress and poor sleeping/eating patterns. The best thing about improving these lifestyle factors is that they have results that carry over into every aspect of our life - from our relationships to our work - to our overall quality of life.