Pro golfers use visualization when they play. They picture the precise shot they want to hit before taking the club back – the trajectory, shape, roll and finish. This puts a positive image in the mind; the body then makes the motions needed to turn the image into reality. We can do the same with our pain. We can visualize a different way to view our pain and respond to it. We can visualize living well despite the pain, the pain leaving our bodies or the pain taking a smaller role in our lives. Find links to guided imagery exercises and other self-management tools. I was recently honored to be a guest on the Compass Opioid Stewardship Program podcast hosted by Dr. Rachael Duncan, PharmD. and Dr. Don Stader.
I'm so grateful for the opportunity and blessed to be able to share my story with clinicians. I'm also thankful for the generosity of Dr. Stader. You'll find out what he offered me at the end of the podcast. It brought me to tears. You can listen to the podcast episode on Apple, Spotify, and Libsyn via the links below: Check out the entire podcast series. Learn more about the Compass Opioid Stewardship Program. Hurt doesn't always mean harm Pain is the body’s alarm system. It’s designed to protect us from danger just like our house alarm or a smoke detector. It’s the body’s normal response to acute tissue damage or injury and heals in normally 3-6 months. But what happens when pain doesn’t go away? Once pain persists beyond the normal healing time, it becomes chronic - losing its warning function and becomes its own disease/condition. It’s an abnormal response (with or without obvious pathology). We know what to expect from our pain by the very nature of it being chronic or ongoing. It’s not like getting burnt, twisting an ankle, or getting stung by a bee that needs protection until the injury has heals. Of course, any unexpected new pain should be investigated. Learn more
Pain, stress, and tension are closely related. Muscles tighten and put pressure on nerves resulting in even more pain.
It’s possible to activate your body’s natural relaxation response to help reduce the tension using mind-body tools like:
Helpful videos
Free Apps Complaining about pain only puts the focus on the pain and as a result can worsen the pain.
To champion pain, it's important to change our thoughts about pain, accept it, and learn how to manage it. That's the focus of the 1,700 member Chronic Pain Champions - No Whining Allowed Facebook support group. All it takes to join are answers to a few easy membership questions. Come join us! |
WelcomeChronic Pain Champions is an information resource/blog/support group to help people living with nonmalignant pain, their families and friends, as well as healthcare professionals. Learn more about this site and the author. Archives
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Tom Bowen Chronic Pain Champions |