This blog is a continuation of our series exploring alternative ways to manage chronic pain without drugs. Often times we might think that pain is unmanageable when low and behold, our own bodies hold an untapped potential for natural pain management. We simply need to learn how to tap into it.
Breathing
Breathing is another seemingly obvious example necessary to facilitate healing and calm. Yet, because it is primarily involuntary, we tend to pay it little attention. However, did you know that your breathing cycle is responsible for transporting the vital oxygen your body needs to create and deliver energy, disbursing it to your cells? This process is called cellular respiration.
Focused breathing techniques can strengthen your body’s ability to calm itself down. Once calm and relaxed, the body can center itself and work toward alleviating pain. Not only that, breathing exercises also extend into helping to focus the mind.
Mindfulness Meditation
For centuries, Buddhist monks have looked to pain as a bodily feeling only. They use mindfulness meditation to exercise and strengthen the mind to not be affected by physical pain. This idea in practice, treats the sensation of physical pain as a compartmentalized physical symptom that only the body feels. The meditation seeks to not let it lead to mental stress, fatigue or depression. By keeping the brain positive and focused in the present moment, we’re able to utilize its powerful circuitry to effectively help relieve pain.
When we’re stressed, it’s easy to let the negative thoughts we have continue to hover about or ruminate. This can lead to loss of sleep, lack of concentration, depression and really get in the way of everyday life. But if we can change the way our brain responds to pain, we can lessen the above-mentioned reactionary symptoms and release the brain from working overtime. Incorporating both focused breathing and mindfulness meditation serves as means to center our mind and body. Once at rest, the mind can work harmoniously with the body and together promote a stable conduit to process the pain or stress and simply let them pass.
This practice may seem difficult to perform at first glance. Who has any time to sit alone in a quiet space for 10 to 15 minutes and focus on nothing but their breath? The reality is, like anything else you try for the first few times, it takes practice. But it’s that practice that helps to train your brain. Like a muscle that you want to build, you begin slowly with little weight and over time, work your way up to heavier weight. In this case, the “weight” you’re lifting is the time you spend focusing on letting daily thoughts pass. Here is a TED Talk that explains the science behind mindfulness meditation and how it works.
Conclusion
There are lots of ways we can expand on these four examples to further help our bodies manage chronic pain. It’s important to mention again, there are many different types of chronic pain we can experience. The difficulty we face is letting them compound over time, creating a cycle that eventually becomes a load so heavy, you begin to lose hope. Don’t lose hope! Whether you’re suffering from chronic pain resulting from past injury(s), corrective surgery, mental health and outside stimuli, illness or disease, there are things you can do to help manage the pain.
An interesting testimonial from a client who suffers from chronic headaches had this to say after using BioVibe Products to help with pain management.
“Well I’ve suffered from chronic headaches for about 8-10 years now. And since wearing, it relieves all the pain. Like there’s still subtle pressure but, it relieved all the pain and - so it’s helped a ton. And it’s helped my neck and everything!”
- Hailey
You can watch the Haileys video testimonial and more here:
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