3 New Year’s resolutions that will help your chronic pain

January 6, 2020

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pain management resolutions What do you think the most common New Year’s resolutions are? According to the National Pain Report, they are as follows:

  1. Exercise more
  2. Lose weight
  3. Eat healthier
  4. Take a more active approach to health
  5. Learn a new skill or hobby
  6. Spend more time on personal well being
  7. Spend more time with family and friends
  8. Drink less alcohol
  9. Stop smoking

Those resolutions probably don’t surprise you, but what’s interesting is that every single item on the list can help with chronic pain! There are so many things you can do to help manage the pain you are in, but sometimes it might mean looking at things with a new perspective. In focusing more on overall health, you are likely to improve your pain as well.

New Year’s resolutions that can help with pain

Poor health and worsened chronic pain are closely tied together, so any effort you make this year to improve your health has the potential to help your pain. But with a more intentional approach, this might be the year when you make lasting lifestyle changes that make a difference in improving the chronic pain you experience.

Consider these three resolutions that will help your overall health and potentially your chronic pain as well:

  1. Move more. That’s it, just move.

    You do not need to commit to a workout program, join a gym, or resolve to walk five miles a day. Most pain, including pain from fibromyalgia and arthritis, decreases with movement and gentle exercise. This movement might mean a small amount of daily walking, stretches, or range of motion exercises. Water exercise classes and yoga are other good options for patients experiencing chronic pain. If you need guidance, your doctor at Southside Pain Specialists or a physical therapist can help.

  2. Focus on adding good things to your diet.

    Changing the way you eat will probably not be a magic cure, but when included as part of your pain management plan, it can help. Anti-inflammatory diets are a good place to start, but focusing on adding healthy options into your diet is beneficial as well. Aim to add more fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats while reducing sugar, white flour, and processed foods. 

  3. Give mindfulness meditation a try.

    The concept of meditation may feel  a little more uncomfortable than the two above, and we know that people often don’t understand where to begin. However, mindfulness meditation has seen a resurgence lately, and it is a simple way of acknowledging your pain and breathing through it. Along with helping to sooth pain, research shows that meditation can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and irritability.

Wherever you are in your journey to living a life free of chronic pain, we hope that you will keep trying to find solutions. There is always another treatment option we can try with our patients at Southside Pain Specialists. We believe that a multidisciplinary approach is the best method, and we will work with you to find the right mix of treatments, medication, and lifestyle factors like the ones mentioned above that will best suit you. 

Southside Pain Specialists is your one-stop shop for pain management

With a multitude of pain relief options tailored to your specific needs, Southside Pain Specialists follow the standards of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, The American Board of Pain Medicine, and the International Spinal Injection Society. We work hard to provide patients with comprehensive, caring pain relief when they need it most. Check out our website or contact us today at 205.332.3155 to learn more.