This Barbie has Chronic Pain
I’m coming up on the seven year anniversary of the concussion that ended my college soccer career and changed my life forever. Seven years of feeling some kind of concussion symptom every. single. day.
There have been ups and downs, but the only constant has been the pain. Chronic pain. It starts somewhere in my neck and often spreads through my skull and into my eyes. Yes, my latest treatment in Canada (which I’ll write about soon) helped a LOT. But, if I fall even the slightest bit out of alignment between my weekly chiropractic appointments, the pain returns.
So, here are three things I do nearly every day for pain management:
Eat more than I want to. My appetite is always the first thing to go during an episode because pain = anxiety about the pain = upset tummy. I focus on eating full meals filled with anti-inflammatory foods, because if my brain is hungry, it means it’s focusing on keeping my body upright, and not on healing. Pro tip: make a smoothie, or something you don’t have to chew. Sometimes, the act of chewing is enough to make the task seem insurmountable.
Breathe. Yes, *eye roll* obviously, breathe. But, more specifically, I’m sharing a technique I’ve adapted from my college acting classes: Stand or sit wherever you are when you feel the pain overwhelming you. Close your eyes. Feel your feet on the ground. Let go of your belly. Let your shoulders drop. Take a deep breath in through your nose, imagining that breath going directly to the spot that hurts. Hold your breath, imagining that breath encircling that black spot of pain. Exhale through your mouth, imagine your breath carrying that pain out as a clean, white streak. Usually just one breath like this is enough to put a dent in the pain.
Heat. I start or end every day on my heating pad. What my concussion has taught me is that it’s better to treat every injury seriously, rather than to try to “muscle through.” When a part of us is in pain, we often tense the muscles surrounding the area, in an attempt to protect it and ourselves. With my injury stemming mostly from my neck and the base of my skull, it’s a minefield back there. Laying on a heating pad is a physical reminder to let go of the muscles I’m holding, while also getting my blood flowing, and thus promoting healing.
You don’t have to have a diagnosed illness or be in chronic pain to use any of these coping techniques. I use these tips as much for my brain’s healing as I do when I twist an ankle, stub a toe, or during that time of the month. What’s one thing you do to take care of yourself when you’re in pain?
As always,
Steph