They say a picture says a thousand words and this could not be more true for the two Jessica’s above. I spent a third of my life, if not more searching for a cure for chronic pain. I had a bike accident in my very young teens which led to brain surgery and later a life with chronic pain.

 

I probably saw at least two hundred different doctors/specialists/surgeons etc in my huge search for a cure to the pain that never went away. I was on every medication you could possibly think of and in my late teens and early twenties partied constantly with friends and did anything to numb the physical pain that no doctor could find a cure for. It was not until weeks after the picture to the left was taken that I went to the Pain Rehab Center at the Mayo Clinic in MN.

 

Their philosophy was not one I believed in nor wanted to try. Now their philosophy is how I live my life:  I accepted I had chronic pain and there may be no cure and learned how to manage it naturally. Yes, pain medication helped for the short term but overtime one just needs more and more of the same medication to get the same pain relief. I started my blog to spread awareness of chronic pain but also to share my brutally honest, sometimes difficult to read, inspiring (maybe) story to show people that you do not have to live a horrible life because of chronic pain and to share my journey with anyone facing this invisible illness.

I accepted chronic pain & there may be no cure & learned how to manage it naturally. @HappyDespitecp Share on X

1. Exercise: The dreaded word no one wants to hear, chronic pain or no chronic pain. I never exercised a day in my life prior to the Mayo Clinic and I started off very slowly. I just started with light walking and stretching each day. I always said there is no way I can exercise because it will only increase my pain. I found the opposite to be true as I started to actually love exercise. It is the first thing I do each morning when I wake up. Anything that raises my heart rate works, from running to kickboxing, dancing, yoga, you name it. I am 33 now so this did not happen over night but it truly is a must for me.

2. Mindfulness/Meditation: Mindfulness is the most difficult tool I use to manage chronic pain. I am a very anxious person and I was beyond anti meditation until I found ways that actually worked for me. People hear the word meditation and freak out. Buy a CD. Download something online. Literally there are millions of choices. I need guided imagery or someone telling me via voice what to do as I lay there for twenty minutes breathing with my belly. Twenty minutes a day of lying on a bed or wherever you feel comfortable and all you are asked to do is listen, shut your eyes, and breathe.

 

#mindfulness isn't easy but it goes a long way to improving pain. via @happydespitecp #spoonie Share on X

3. Distractions: I spent so much of my life focusing on pain that I never did anything I enjoyed and lost so much of myself and my life as many of us do or have as a result of chronic pain. I have chronic pain: never found a cure but when I begin to focus on the pain I do something to distract myself.  In the beginning stages of my natural route of managing chronic pain, I would bring  a book everywhere I went and even on car rides (clearly I was not driving), and I would read. It does not matter what you do to distract yourself: movie, cooking, reading, reality TV, writing, music. Remember your hobbies and bring em back.

4. Nutrition:   I have become a total health juice fanatic over the years but only because I really love it. When I first entered the pain rehab center I was eating non stop, drinking alllll the time and literally just fed my body anything to take away all the physical and emotional pain. After the Pain Rehab Center I really knew nothing about nutrition, just that I no longer was going to drink (which obviously takes off tons of weight and bloating) and I would eat healthy. I started by just making Lean Cuisines for dinner and having small snacks throughout the day. Juicing and Smoothies and processed food were terms I had honestly never heard. Years later I love juicing and finding healthy foods, it is like a hobby and passion of mine along with exercise. But, again this took a long long time.

 

5. Stopping Pain behaviors: A pain behavior is anything one does to remind themselves of their pain. Most of us do it without even realizing it. My best friend noticed me rubbing my face and head non stop and pointed it out my Senior year of high school. I had no idea I was doing it. I still find myself doing pain behaviors but I quickly recognize it and stop. I work hard to train my brain to not think about pain.

6. Physical therapy/Occupational therapy: STRETCHING IS A MUST WHEN  YOU WAKE IN THE MORNING! If you have good insurance or even not-so-good insurance find a therapist who can help you do the things you want to do and need to do but in ways that it does not “hurt” or make your “pain” worse.

 

#Spoonie stretching is a must when you wake up in the morning. #chronicpain #fibro via @happydespitecp Share on X

7. YOGA and sleep. Many of us with chronic pain have a horrible time sleeping. At this moment I have no solution for your sleepless nights but just minor tips. Take all clocks out of your bedroom. Each time you look at that clock you are reminded of how many hours left you have until morning. Its AWFUL. However, there is no easy fix to sleeping problems when it comes to chronic pain and anxiety. Therefore, I want all of you to google “yoga nidra” it is the meditative heart of yoga and puts you in a deep trance/sleep for about thirty minutes which in real life time is the equivalent to four hours of sleep. I’m not making this up. Its a miracle. It takes a few times to get used to it but it is a lifesaver on those days that you cannot wake up and the lack of sleep is causing more pain/anxiety/depression.

8. Find a Therapist – Finally, if you can see a therapist who knows about chronic pain and tell him (or her)  your goals. You are not alone in this and it is good to talk to someone. I see a therapist, we are great friends now.

Jessica Martin blogs about life with chronic pain at No One Gets Flowers For Chronic Pain, if you’d like to contact her you can do so via twitter.