Living With Pain

Managing life today can be difficult. Managing life with pain is even more challenging, but it is possible. There are ways to balance your life so that you can live the way you choose, rather than your illness dictating. The key is for you to become an active member of the treatment team. It is important to understand what your responsibilities are to ensure a near normal life style. Your health care team will do all they can to provide the necessary medical care, but you will be responsible for much of the day-to-day routine.

First you must clearly understand what your needs are. Personal needs can range from a balance between getting the proper rest and physical exercise to taking medications and reducing stress. While managing illness and pain are complex issues, the majority of the key components are simply common sense and good living skills. Things such as good nutrition, open communication with family and friends, asserting yourself so that your needs are met, and finding balance between activity and rest are all key components in successfully managing pain.

It is important to recognize your limitation to prevent becoming overly tired or risking increasing pain levels. Staying within your limits can enhance your ability to think clearly and concentrate on important tasks. Understanding personal needs will provide a means to develop a workable plan so that you can incorporate important tasks into your daily routine.

Journaling is an excellent way to ensure necessary tasks are completed while brining you one step closer to independence. Balancing daily activities with necessary rest periods is easier when you have a written overview of your endurance.

Your journal can also provide you with insight into daily stressors. Reducing stress is vital in the fight against pain. Muscles that are already painful will experience increased pain as your stress level increases and your muscles tighten. There are relaxation exercises and audiotapes available to teach ways to recognize stress and reduce tension.

Recognizing and understanding feelings are another important component to successful pain management. When you ignore feelings, they do not go away, but can show up as increased tension, feeling out-of-sorts, or even anger. Dealing with feelings as they occur can greatly reduce both stress levels and pain. Your journal, with its daily entries, can become your road map to wellness and provide you with a sense of empowerment.

Daily exercise should also become a routine activity. Simple stretches can strengthen muscles, improve circulation and improve energy levels. Ask your doctor about an exercise program designed to fit your ability. Invite your family to exercise with you or try exercising to some lively music.

When you plan your day, keep in mind your need to pace activities according to your ability for that particular day. A simple way to remember the importance of pacing is with the word PACE.

P is for prioritizing your tasks to ensure that the most important ones get done first.

A is for planning your actions to ensure the best result.

C is to remind you of your physical comfort. If a task creates increased pain levels, then perhaps you need to ask for help.

E is for energy. Energy levels are never the same from day to day.

You need to consider how much energy you have at the beginning of each day to ensure you are working and playing within your ability.

By combining PACE – Priorities, Actions, Comfort and Energy – with your personal commitment to a near-normal life, you can begin to feel like a person rather than a patient.

By Penny Cowan, Founder and Executive of the American Chronic Pain Association. Reprinted with permission from NewSLEtter, the Bay Area Lupus Foundation newsletter.

=========================================================== This information is for"informational purposes" and is not meant to be used for medical diagnosis. Always consult your physician on matters such as this.