Living With Chronic Pain Conditions

Millions around the world struggle with chronic pain conditions every day.

Yes, millions of people. A staggering number of people worldwide live with one or more chronic pain conditions every day. I’m talking about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Arthritis, Rheumatism, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Migraines, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, etc. That's a massive chunk of the global population living in pain every day. Most of these conditions bring more than mere physical pain. Other symptoms include fatigue, general achiness, insomnia, mental fogginess, and nausea. So, why do I care?

Why Do I Care?

I care because I am one of those people. Back in 2011, after a couple of years of dealing with constant pain, after an exhausting battery of blood tests and some physio, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I already had occasional bouts of pain from carpal tunnel syndrome and tenosynovitis, and I have had a lifelong struggle with migraines and tension headaches. Living with chronic pain has been my life for a long time. Almost the first question asked by most people is: “What medications do you take?” My answer? I have codeine for the migraines; I’ve learned to live with the rest of it. You may be asking yourself why I have chosen to deal with chronic pain without the help of prescribed medications.

Let's Talk About Medication

Over the years, I have been prescribed many different medications for chronic pain. My experience has been predominantly negative. I find that prescribed medications do very little for the pain associated with fibromyalgia, and most come with some nasty side effects. The milder painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen have no impact whatsoever. More potent painkillers bring some of those side effects I was talking about. For instance, Naproxen badly affected my stomach, and I refuse to take another medication to combat the side effects. Tramadol can only be described as sending my head wappy. I couldn’t think straight, and decision-making was impossible. My doctor even tried morphine derivatives, first in tablet, then patch form, the itching from those far outweighed any relief they could have offered. 

Some of the medications prescribed haven’t been painkillers at all. For instance, Amitriptyline is a mild sedative and muscle relaxant in a low dose. I found it gave me no respite from the pain. It did help me sleep at night but struggling to wake up foggy-headed two hours late every morning was not something I could accept. Like pregabalin and gabapentin, other medications did nothing for the pain but did an awful lot for weight gain. I am twice the woman I was before trying those out. So if prescribed medications were getting me nowhere, how do I manage to keep going? How do I minimize the impact on my quality of life?

My 5 Top Tips For Living With Chronic Pain 

I took a step back and went back to what I knew. I have always had an innate affinity for holistic therapies. I had used energy healing, both with and without crystals, from my late teens. So I started practicing my energy healing more and studying other holistic healing modalities. I have become a Reiki Master, a certified meditation teacher, and an accredited aromatherapist through my studies. I have also studied diet and nutrition to understand how food impacts chronic pain conditions.

All that said, here are my five top tips for better living with chronic pain.

Tip 1 - Pace Yourself

Energy is like money. If you borrow some today, you better believe you’ll pay for it tomorrow. Trying to do anything when in constant pain takes way more energy than doing the same thing when you’re feeling OK. You may have heard of the “spoon theory,” which suggests that we can measure our energy in spoons, and you only have so many at the beginning of the day. Everything you do or try to do uses up your spoons. For example, if you have ten spoons at the beginning of the day, getting out of bed will use one spoon. Getting dressed, taking a bath, preparing and cooking a meal, doing household chores, getting the shopping, etc., will all use up your spoons. Some things will only take one spoon on a good day but may take three or four spoons on a bad day. So my advice is to pace yourself and weigh up your spoon allowance before you do anything else every morning. Next, decide what has to be done, what you’d like to get done, and what can wait for a better day. Spend your spoons wisely each day. If you overspend today, you’ll have fewer spoons tomorrow and the next day.

Tip 2 - Meditation 

I have meditated regularly for years. I already knew how meditation helps me relax and focus. After studying to become a meditation teacher, I worked out how to use meditation to combat pain flare-ups. I use a combination of a body scan meditation with healing light meditation, which I will be expanding on in my book “Holistic Living With Fibromyalgia”. Using meditation morning and night and occasionally in between, I have some control over the frequency and severity of pain flares. Learning meditation takes time and practice. The best way, I’ve found, is to start small. Just try meditating for a few minutes and build up slowly.

Tip 3 - You Are What You Eat

Without getting into the nitty-gritty of organic foods, specific diets, the evils of processed foods, or the importance of vitamins and minerals, let’s look at how some foods can aggravate or alleviate a pain flare. I have seen a few websites and books advocating a so-called fibromyalgia diet. The truth is, there isn’t one. We are all unique individuals; our bodies respond to different foods differently. The only accurate way to figure out what works for you is to keep a food/pain diary. Track what you eat along with how your body is feeling. It won’t be long before you notice that certain foods will worsen your symptoms while others help you feel better. For instance, I found that red meats, mainly burgers, aggravate a flare while white meats don’t. Chicken helps. Bananas, citrus, and other fruits are not great for me, while grapes, strawberries, and pears are good. I also find that cauliflower is the best veg to fill my plate. Unfortunately, though, cauliflower cheese is out. Peanuts are bad, but walnuts are great for me too. I could go on and on, and on listing every food I find good or bad, but it’s better if you keep your food/pain diary and see what works for you.

Tip 4 - Aromatherapy

You may think of essential oils as something you just use to make your space smell nice. Or, you may never have given them a second thought. Either way, it may be time for a rethink. Extensive research has been done to verify the efficacy of essential oils when used to treat various symptoms. My personal favourites are lavender, peppermint, roman chamomile, ylang-ylang, and grapefruit. I like to use Lavender, ylang-ylang, and roman chamomile to destress, relax, and help me sleep. They are also an excellent combination to combat aches and pains. Peppermint and grapefruit are my favourites for those days when my mental acuity is below par. They help to wake me up and help me focus. Again, peppermint is also an excellent analgesic. Good quality essential oils don’t have to be expensive either. I found a wonderful herbalist in my hometown with an inexpensive line of essential oils.

Tip 5 - Energy Healing

Energy healing is not all “woo woo hocus pocus”. There is a fair number of research papers online explaining how it works. Have you ever noticed how some people just light up a room when they enter - and I’m not talking about how they look. You just feel better around some people. Conversely, you’ve probably come across people who drain your energy whenever they’re around.  It’s all down to energy transfer. We can all affect others with our energy, and we can all be affected by the power of others. Energy healing encompasses reiki, quantum touch, crystal healing, and others. It’s all about focusing your energy transference on healing. When you learn to control your energy, often with the hands and the mind, you can begin to encourage your body to heal itself. It is well worth suspending any disbelief, doing a little study, and learning to harness your inherent ability to self-heal. 

 These self-healing techniques are covered more fully in my upcoming book, “Holistic Living With Fibromyalgia”, due for release in late summer this year.

Originally published in GEW magazine