Tips for Managing Pain Flare Ups
Pain flare ups are an inevitable part of the recovery from pain or injury. One of the most common misconceptions about pain flare ups is that when they happen, they automatically mean that you have caused more damage, or set yourself back in your recovery. Thankfully, this isn’t always the case!
The intensity of pain we experience is ultimately controlled by our nervous system (brain, nerves etc). It is often an indication of how sensitive our nervous system is at any given time. This sensitivity can be influenced by a number of factors such as; increased stress, poor sleep, worry, inadequate hydration, doing too much or too little, and previous experience of pain or injury. For this reason, we can’t always attribute increased pain to more tissue damage - great news! However, this doesn’t make them easier to deal with, and they can cause significant distress when they are at their worst. So the question is, what should you do to cope with and ride out an inevitable pain flare up?
Reflect - do an honest assessment of how you have been doing with eating well, hydrating, sleeping and moving. The things under your control, such as hydration and nutrition can have a huge impact on how much pain you experience. Doing these poorly can more stress on your body and nervous system, leading to more pain as a response. Sleep can be a little more tricky to control when in pain, however looking at things like timing pain medications appropriately, using hot/cold, a wind down routine and sleeping position can help. Have you been moving more or less than normal? If you’ve been doing too much for what your pain or injury is willing to tolerate, your nervous system will increase symptoms to protect itself!
Take Action - after reflecting, make a conscious effort to address the things you have identified. If things start to get better after a few days, great, keep going!
Stay calm - pain flare ups are part of the recovery process. Try not to worry and panic too much, this can make the pain worse too. If you are under the care of a professional, reach out to them and ask for some advice if it helps.
If you are having more regular or more pain flare ups than normal, it could be time to look for help if you are struggling.
Our team can help you manage pain flare ups and get back to life without worrying about when your next pain flare up is coming. Call 01563262123 or email info@aristosphysiotherapy.co.uk to find out how we can help.