CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES WHEN YOU ARE STUCK AT HOME
Clients with pain from chronic diseases may find that isolation and stress from social distancing and self quarantine at home poses practical problems and can increase pain levels. The medical community has been ordered to cut or delay all but the most urgent doctor visits, essential procedures, and tests with access to treatment being very limited.
The Coronavirus pandemic is already a very high-anxiety situation, and now being sequestered at home seems to be making your pain worse and pain management all the more difficult. How are you supposed to get through this situation which is sure to last for weeks and maybe even months?
Doctors are now relying on telemedicine to connect with their patients during this pandemic. Learn to embrace it whenever you can whether through the phone, FaceTime, zoom, Google Hangout, text, or computer. Be honest with your doctor about how you are feeling, be sure your prescriptions are up to date, and ask for additional suggestions to mitigate pain in a holistic, homeopathic way while stuck at home.
Ask a family member for help downloading apps or setting up portals online if you need it. There are plenty of certified virtual health and wellness services being offered on the web or through your phone, and your doctor can recommend them. Your licensed physical therapist can monitor you through virtual means as well, and suggest where there is access to yoga instruction and respected nutritionists on line too. This is a good place to start with FREE classes and 30-day trials: https://www.doyou.com/defeat-chronic-pain-with-these-9-easy-yoga-poses-67572/.
Staying at home breaks down the normal routine, exercise, and distracting activities we are typically accustomed to. Not leaving home means more idle time to focus on the aches and pains and difficulties we have with daily tasks due to chronic conditions. Try to keep your mind and body as active as possible, especially if you are all alone. Stay connected to friends and family on a daily/weekly basis if possible, because it helps to have someone to talk to. Let your grandkids be a delightful distraction if only for a short time.
Have focus. Create a schedule for yourself or structure your day around necessary chores and then activities that you enjoy. Make a timetable to take a hot shower, prepare meals, tidy up, and sanitize your high touch surfaces, but also to watch a movie, listen to music, and telephone your friends etc.
This is a good opportunity to finally make time for mindfulness, meditation and breathing exercises to work through minor pain. Many medical treatments have been put on hold right now and a medical facility is the last place Seniors should be at this time due to the high risk of Coronavirus transmission. If there are medical treatments or procedures that have been put on hold that you typically rely on for pain relief, then this can be a very trying time for you. Consider adding specific stress management techniques and relaxation tools to your routine at home as prescribed by your doctor. While sequestering at home is what is needed right now, this can be a really challenging time for anyone with chronic pain, but it may be a chance to explore new ideas or treatments that you may have not otherwise considered.
Reach Out To Us: This might be just the right time to take another look at home care or companionship care while you or a loved one are stuck at home due to the pandemic and separated from those who would normally help with your daily routine. You do not have to be alone, and may benefit from companion care - not only the social activity it brings but also the fact that having some help to do all the things you can’t comfortably do due to your pain will immediately improve your quality of life. Our caregivers are trained in the proper protocols to prevent transmission of the Coronavirus, and will shop, cook, encourage exercise, help manage meds and do the necessary disinfecting of high touch surfaces needed in the home. Telemedicine and telehealth are part of the new normal right now, our caregivers can help get you or a loved one get set up on the smart phone or computer to facilitate conversation with doctors and therapists. Help is just a phone call away at 561-328-7611.
Till Next Time!
Irv Seldin, JD, President and Owner, Visiting Angels of the Palm Beaches
This article is not intended as medical advice.