While we’re growing up and getting older, we all experience changes in our body, and as we get older, we often find that we’ll have aches and pains that we didn’t have several years ago. Generally the older you are, the more you’ll notice them or be impacted by them. If you’re suffering from any niggling aches and pains, its important to see a doctor to check that it isn’t something more serious then, if it not, these tips may provide some simple ways to soothe your aches and pains.
BLOOD FLOW
If you have a headache that you can’t seem to shift, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to encourage blood flow away from your head and to your hands and feet instead. The reason for this is that often when you have a headache it is due to muscles contracting and pulsing. The less blood flow you have to the area, the less pulsing can occur. Fill a bath a few inches with warm water and sit in it, place a cold pack on the back of your neck and rest your head on your knees, and then place your hands in the water. The warmth and gravity will take blood away from the head and should help you to feel better.
GENTLE EXERCISE
Although it wouldn’t be recommended to start running a marathon or trying ninja warrior when you have back ache or any other pains, gentle movement can help. When our muscles and joints are in pain it is often a good idea to loosen and lengthen the muscles and joints with stretches. This can release any knots and issues which might be present and it can make a great impact on the way you feel. Try yoga or Pilates or even hydrotherapy as they could help massively.
BREATHE
It is crucial when you have aches and pains to make sure that you have enough oxygen supplying your body and you can make sure of this with deep, slow breaths. Not only will this bring more air into the body but it will also calm you down and this can often release a lot of the tension and stress in your muscles and joints. This along with gentle stretching can be super helpful to fight against pain. Practising mindfulness is something that I’ve personally been exploring in recent years and its really helped me with my own breathing techniques. Meditation is a great way to switch your focus away from where you feel pain.
DO YOUR RESEARCH- READ ABOUT IT
If, for example, you wake up and you have a bloated and painful stomach, rather than suffer or take some pills for it right away, have a read and see if there are other ways to prevent it from happening in the future. Pain prevention is different for every part of the body, and often for the stomach it can be a case of rest, warmth, and avoiding certain foods until the stomach settles. Have a think about what you can do and research it online. This will help you to form a plan and it could enable you to get rid of the pain entirely or ease it effectively. I have always suffered with my stomach but once I found out that I had an intolerance to cows milk protein and I cut dairy out of my diet, the problems I had have subsided.
COUNSELLING
For those of us who suffer from chronic pain which lasts for a long stretch of time, it can be a good idea to go to a counsellor for some advice and help. If you’re in the North East, I would highly recommend The Westoe Practice which is where I have been going for counselling and emotional healing. When you’re dealing with pain day to day, it can not only be stressful for the body but also for the mind, making sure that you take care of your mental health as well as your physical health is so important.
CBD
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical naturally found in cannabis plants, but it doesn’t cause the “high” feeling associated with cannabis. It does, however, have many health benefits and one of those is its use for pain. It has been found to be effective at treating pain, inflammation, and general discomfort related to a variety of health conditions. As a result, some people suffering from chronic pain use CBD products to manage their symptoms. Research suggests that CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid receptors in the brain and immune system. Essentially, this initiates an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving response. There are plenty of different CBD products available, including CBD gummies for pain, so take some time to read about which might suit you best if you’d like to try it.
DISTRACT YOURSELF
If possible, read a book, phone a friend, cook, colour in… do anything you can to distract you from the pain you feel. The reason why this can be effective is that some of the time if we focus on our pain and think about it all of the time, we can build it up to be worse in our minds, so distraction techniques can help to stop this.
SHARE YOUR STORY
Sometimes a great way for you to feel better about your pain and cope with it is to interact and share your story with others. You can do this through a blog which you share with the world if you feel comfortable to do so (I know myself how much of a cathartic outlet that can be!), or you could join a Facebook group for those with a similar concern to you or you could even join a community in your local area and share your thoughts, feelings and advice on your condition. The good thing about this is joining a network will also give you the chance to learn about other ways to prevent the triggers to your pain and it can be a great way to make some lasting friends for the future too!
GET SOME SLEEP
The value of a good night’s sleep is honestly something which can not be replaced. Sleep is a process our body has to go through every single day in order to stay fit and healthy and it is a process we have to do to keep fit. If you are struggling with sleep due to muscle and joint pain try a Fuum memory foam mattress to help mould around the body and allow you to sleep more soundly. If your mattress isn’t the problem, there are plenty of other things you could try to help you get off to sleep at night. You could, for example, try a supplement like kratom – the red bali strain has particularly good sedative and relaxing properties (if you’re wondering “what is red bali kratom?”, you can click here to find out more) which could really help you settle down in the evening.
TAKE A COURSE
There are courses in pain management which are done by doctors, clinics and other bodies and you don’t need to go private, they’re even available on the NHS. If you are really struggling with pain every day and it is becoming too much for you to manage, taking a course could be a great idea because it could give you a new perspective on your pain and how to manage it going forward.
RELAX
If you are struggling with pain a lot, one of the things which might not be helping you is stress. Unfortunately stress and pain often go hand in hand and this means that often you will find the more stressed you are, the more pain you are in. Take a day or two off work if you’re able to and enjoy some free time to yourself. Enjoy the garden at home, go out with friends or family or just relax on the sofa. Run yourself a nice hot bath and order your favourite takeaway or let someone else take care of the cooking and focus on a little bit of self care. Hitting pause can make a massive difference to how you feel both physically and mentally and really give you a little bounce back be it in your step or your mindset.
How do you soothe your aches and pains?
