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Pain management tips for everyday activities It only takes a second to fill out, and it will make it much easier to remember when you took your last dose of prescribed medication or herbal supplements. Chronic pain may be with you for the rest of your life, but it does not have to be your life. Keep exploring for new avenues of help. Yoga is not just for the limber! People have reported finding many unusual ways to ease their pain. Back to top When you are doing any outdoor work, always use gloves to protect your hands. You can also pad painful areas with layers of packing foam to lessen impact on sensitive areas of your hands or knees. Back to top To move a heavy or bulky object like a laundry basket from one place to another, tie a rope on one end and pull it along rather than pick it up. Back to top The group needs to be suited to your pace, but you will be amazed at how being with other people can take your mind off your pain. Back to top Avoid exercise within two hours of bed time. Exercising produces endorphins, which can interrupt or delay getting to sleep. Morning or early afternoon are the best times to exercise. Back to top Do you have pain in your elbows or knees? Just wrap your knee or elbow in clear plastic wrap, loose enough not to impair circulation, but tight enough to stay in place. You don't need to use topical medicine under the wrap. The wrap will help generate heat which may soothe the pain. Back to top People with chronic pain often forget the importance of deep breathing. Filling our lungs with air is essential to nourish the tissues with oxygen. Try getting a big balloon and blowing it up several times a day. This exercise ensures that you are getting air deep down to the base of the lungs. Back to top Before you go outside to garden, partially fill a hot water bottle with water. You can make the temperature as warm as you like. This tip may help you in two ways. The hot water bottle will cushion your knees when you kneel and the warm water will soothe your knees. And, it's a tip you can use inside the house, as well. Back to top Pain often leads to restless sleep which in turn can lead to bunched-up bed sheets. Those ridges caused when you move around a lot in bed can create pressure on your body. Avoiding pressure is especially important if you have peripheral neuropathies. The decreased sensation caused by the neuropathy means you probably won't feel the ridges in your sheets. You might not know you're experiencing pressure until other, more serious symptoms appear. So, how do you keep those sheets tight? Buy sheet holders at your favorite bedding store. The fasteners fit around the corners of a fitted sheet and help hold it tight. Back to top Many women learned this tip from their mothers or in home economics classes. It's a tip that men can use also, and that women may want to relearn. Use an apron. In addition to protecting your clothing, an apron can help you do the things you want to do without adding more pain to stressed joints. For example, you can use the hem of the apron to help open jars and the pockets or the skirt of the apron to carry multiple items. Back to top Walking around plants and shrubs in your garden, especially on uneven ground, can cause you to fall. Here's a cheap tip to help you stay standing. First, figure out where in your garden you need help moving around.Then cut off the bottom part of your old mops and booms and keep the handles. Cut the handles to your height and place them in those areas you need help.The handles can help stablize your footing as you step over shrubs and plants. Back to top Cooking every day can be quite a chore, especially when you're in pain. Take advantage of the days you can cook by making larger portions and freezing the rest. Divide the leftovers into easy-to-eat portions, put them in plastic freezer bags and put the bags in the freezer.When you're ready, heat them up in boiling water or in your microwave. (Be sure to follow your microwave's instructions.)In addition to saving you time and energy, freezing leftovers can help reduce the amount of food that goes to waste and relieve you from the boredom of eating the same foods many days in a row. Back to top When you experience pain, a lot of walking and reaching can hurt. Reduce some of that movement by organizing your kitchen and bathroom to reduce steps and motion. In your kitchen, put all baking materials together and keep the cups beside the coffee machine along with the sugar bowl. In your bathroom, keep towels and washcloths at an easy-to-reach height and location. Back to top If you do not have an intercom in your home, buy a set of walkie-talkies or a baby monitor. You can communicate with your housemates and they can feel free to go outside in range of the equipment. Back to top Keep a list of providers and frequent contacts beside the telephone. If you should experience an emergency, a friend or neighbor can easily find and call the appropriate numbers. Back to top Does bending over in the shower to chase a bar of fallen soap aggravate your back pain or arthritis? Here's a simple solution: Cut off the leg of an old pair of panty hose. Put a bar of soap in the toe, and tie the top of the panty hose to the neck of the shower head. You'll have your own version of "soap with a rope," and your days of chasing that slippery bar around the shower floor will be over. When the bar of soap is used up, the panty hose can be washed in the machine. Back to top You don't need to spend a lot of money on tools to help you reach or grab items from the floor or elsewhere. Chronic pain can prevent you from bending or reaching to pick up and move small items. But help can be as close as your hardware or discount store. Simply buy barbecue tongs. The price is often less than $5. You'll find them invaluable for picking up objects from the floor or from high shelves. If your budget allows, buy several pairs. That way, you'll have them handy in each room where you're likely to need them. Back to top You may find yourself feeling overwhelmed with daily demands if chronic pain limits your ability to run errands, clean up around the house or handle other chores. Here's a way to bring some order to your life. At the beginning of each day, develop a "chore chart" that prioritizes tasks by their importance. Do the most important chores first. That way, you'll finish the most important work before your energy store is depleted for the day. Arranging tasks by priority helps us feel that we have accomplished at least one important thing each day. You'll be surprised how this can aid your sense of well-being. Back to top The fine print is often crucial, but reading it can be a challenge. A magnifying glass can be a help. But you shouldn't have to search the whole house every time you need one.
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