Pain Flare-Up

If you suffer from chronic or persistent pain and have worked on reducing your pain with various techniques and experienced relief, it is likely you will also at some point in time have a pain flare-up. This can be cause for alarm for many of us. The mind starts reeling, “Oh no, it’s back.” “How long with this last?” “Is this ever going to go away!” We ruminate on how it felt last time, how bad it was, and how it changed our lives. This starts a vicious pain cycle and in turn creates emotions such as negativity, fear, anxiety, and grief which scientists have proven increase our pain.

When Pain Flares-Up

• Pain is changeable. Our brain learned pain before and it can re-learn and change our pain again.
• Unless you have an acute injury that caused your pain flare-up, do not stop moving. Gentle movement using pain care guidelines is vital to decreasing your pain flare-up. If you aren’t certain what the pain care guidelines are or need some advice, Waterfall Yoga Therapy can assist you in desensitizing the brain over time to change your pain signals.
• Practice relaxation techniques. When you keep your breath calm and your body tension low this signals to your nervous system that you are not in distress and keeps the pain signals from becoming over-amplified. Try this breath practice.
• Take time to listen to your bodies needs through quiet reflection or meditation. Does your body need nutrition, water, gentle movement, a physician, or rest? Try this meditation.
• Do not push yourself beyond your means. If you are grimacing, pushing through the pain, ignoring the pain etc this is an old habit that hasn’t worked out to your benefit in the past. What can you do differently this time to honor your body and its needs? This goes back to the pain care guidelines and working with your nervous system responses.
• Practice positivity. Positive mindset, joy, laughter, and gratitude are proven to change your pain. When we are grateful and don’t give ALL of our attention to our pain, we can instead look at all the things that are right with our body and in our world, this is a proven way to turn down the pain dial.
• Try an affirmation: “My body has learned new tools. It can and will be pain free again.”

I have helped hundreds of people decrease their pain virtually and in-person. If you feel private sessions are for you contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult.