Managing Pain

There are many different types of pain, but basically :

• Acute pain comes on suddenly and has a specific cause, for example the pain you would get if you twisted your ankle. 

Chronic pain which is long term, such as the pain you get with arthritis or back problems

• Recurrent pain is pain which comes and goes, such as toothache, migraine, etc. 

There are many things you can do to manage pain. For instance, for acute or recurrent pain you can take over-the-counter pain killers, or stronger medication prescribed by your doctor - however, these often have unwanted side effects such as constipation,  nausea etc. especially if they are used over a long period of time.  If you want to treat your pain without drugs  you can  perhaps try ice or heat packs; or a TENS machine.  

For the management of chronic pain, complementary therapies such as acupuncture, Reiki, reflexology, relaxation and visualization techniques can be very useful. Here's a vizualisation technique you can try yourself at home.  (It might be helpful to get someone to talk you through this so you can completely relax). 

So, find a quiet spot where you won't be disturbed. Picture that pain in your body.  On a scale of 1 - 10, 10 being the most intense, give the pain a number.  Now close your eyes and take in some deep breaths - in through your nose and out through your mouth.  As you breathe in, breathe in calm and relaxation, and as you breathe out, breathe out any feelings of stress or anxiety.  Allow your muscles to soften and loosen as you breathe.  Just focus on your breathing for a few minutes while you continue to relax.

Now go back to that picture of the pain in your body.  Give it a colour and a shape - maybe it's black and jagged - and start to imagine the edges of that colour beginning to fade and blur and soften.  Continue to breathe naturally, and keep thinking about that colour fading around the edges, those jagged edges softening, so the patch of black becomes smaller and smaller.  Maybe the colour will change as you do this, to a deep blue, then a turquoise blue, then pale blue, then fade away to no colour at all.  After a few minutes (and it won't take long) that coloured area will become completely clear.  

Now, focus on that clear area and go back to that scale.  What's the number now?  It should be down to a manageable 3, or even less.  You can repeat this as many times as you like to get the number down to a level you're comfortable with.  At first, you may find it difficult to relax when you are in pain.  However, the more you practice this, the easier it will be to get the number right down to zero.

​NB: Acute pain is the brain's way of telling us that something needs attention, so please make sure you seek medical advice.  

If you would like a free, no-obligation pain management recording, please contact me by clicking 
here.

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