Everybody is living a complicated life. No one has it easy. Well, some may have it easier than others, but everybody wants to get rid of their problems, no matter how small or big they are.
When it comes to living an uncomplicated and problem-less life, the first thing that we fantasize about is 100% health, which means no physical pain at all. However, that is only a fantasy, because pain is one of the most common health problems in the world; specifically chronic pain.
There are pains that come with injury or bad posture, and they leave as we take medications and try to be better. This kind of pain is only short-term; it is called acute pain. However, some pains last longer. Pain that stays continuous and comes and goes at least for 3 consistent months is categorized as chronic pain.
The biggest myth around chronic pain is that it is usually associated with old people. Chronic pain is fairly common in children and teenagers, and it can affect young people disastrously, creating troubles in their many areas of life, including education, family, sports, social circles, and more.
Since teenagers are most overlooked when it comes to chronic pain, there is little to no awareness coming from adults for teenagers about how to deal with chronic pain.
Not anymore, health scientists and pain experts have already acknowledged troubled teenagers who find it hard dealing with chronic pain, and they have released some great ways to cope with it.
Below are 4 amazing ways for teenagers to deal with chronic pain and improve their life.
Contents
Reduce Stress
A lot of people believe that stress is a mental disorder that only affects our minds, which is not true at all. In fact, stress is one of the core factors that play a part in physical health. Although other negative feelings, such as anxiety and depression, can also physically have a bad effect on your health; however, these mental complications can be clinical as well, and require medicines to overcome.
On the other hand, stress is usually controllable and can be reduced if one tries. The more stress you take, the more sensitive you become towards physical pain; then, even in the smallest physical complications would seem like a big deal.
If one learns to manage and relieve stress, it might be helpful in the relief of chronic pain as well. But how does one do that exactly?
Well, there are several techniques that can help you reduce stress, especially if you are a teenager. One way to reduce stress is progressive muscle relaxation. It is a kind of physical exercise (yoga) where you relax your muscles by tightening and loosening them, while deep breathing consciously.
Another way to do that is to listen to calming, peaceful music more. It can lift your mood, and help you distract from your pain. It is kind of a mental escape that instills peaceful imagery in your mind.
Natural Endorphins through Work Out
If you are reading this, then you probably know that you have chronic pain. And knowing is certainly not helping your mood – having a negative mood is making it even worse for you. But something that can make it significantly better is a boost of natural endorphins.
Endorphins are chemicals that are released in your brain when you perform certain activities, like eating chocolates, having sexual intercourse, or exercise. The best method among these (something you can do regularly without any side effects) is exercise.
These chemicals are significantly helpful in instilling positive feelings in your body and blocking the pain. Not to forget, exercise is already a pain-reducing activity; it provides strength to your muscles to battle pain, and prevent injuries and re-injuries, which are one of the common causes of chronic pain.
If you are not sure what kind of exercise routine to follow in terms of your body type, you can check in with the doctor and follow the recommended workout routine. Exercising in a group or in a gym is much better than exercising alone since it boosts endorphins even more.
Another way is to visit an affordable chiropractor and learn practical ways to exercise to reduce chronic pain.
Join a Support Group
Just like bad mental health can have a negative effect on your physical health, chronic pain can also disrupt your mental stability and cause issues of low self-esteem, anxiety, and more. You might start thinking that you are just a teenager and you already have problems with your health. If you are anywhere near thinking this way, it is critical for you to know that you are not alone, not at all.
There is a whole world out there filled with people like you. Chronic is much more common in teenagers than people make it out to be. And if you need to have a safe space to talk about your issues, we would suggest you join a support group for chronic pain in teenagers.
You can either go to physical meetings if you can find one, or you can join social groups and communities on the internet. There are subreddits, Facebook groups, and other social places where you can meet and greet people with similar problems.
Knowing that there are others like you with the same issues as you aren’t only better for your self-esteem and confidence, but it will enhance your mood, which will consequently give you the strength to cope with the pain easily.
Try to Stay Away from Smokes and Drinks
It is not uncommon for teenagers to smoke and, for those above the drinking age, to drink. Although smoking and drinking is already a bad habit, it becomes even worse for your chronic pain.
Smoking is the reason why a lot of people develop chronic pain in their shoulders and backs. If you already have chronic pain, smoking can worsen it. It is definitely not good for pain circulation. Not to mention, smoking also increases the risk of heart diseases and, well, cancer.
Avoiding smoking, along with other healthy activities, will definitely help you cope with your chronic pain in a better way.
On the other hand, if you drink, we would advise you to cut back on it too, as it can worsen your sleeping habits, which your chronic pain is already doing. Chronic pain is known to disrupt sleeping patterns. Mix it with increasing amounts of alcohol, and you have made it worse for yourself to sleep in a healthy way.
Drinking very little or no alcohol at all can improve your physical health, help reduce the frequency of chronic pain, and enhance your quality of life.
Additional Advice
These four ways are scientifically proven to work for chronic pain; however, there are more ways to help track your pain, control it, and reduce it gradually. If your chronic pain is due to any injury that you have contracted previously, you can visit a chiropractor on a regular basis that will treat your chronic pain through expert spinal decompression.
Moreover, track activities that increase your pain and then cut off those activities gradually to feel better physically. We hope these ways will help you feel better. Good luck.
Author Bio:
Dr. David Aquah has 25 years of experience focusing on Anesthesiology, Pain Management, Sports Medicine, Pain Medicine.
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