Did you know one out of five Americans deal with chronic pain? Coping with pain management and learning new strategies might feel overwhelming at times. If you want to learn about comprehensive pain management, we can help.

In this guide, we’ll go over different techniques to try out. Some strategies include light stretching, connecting with friends, or seeking counseling.

Ready to learn more? Keep reading.

1. Remain Active and Stretch

It might seem counterintuitive to try and exercise if you experience chronic pain. Yet, full-body stretching, even for 10 minutes a day, can help you.

You will strengthen your muscles, improve your mood, and have a distraction from pain.

Over time, you might begin to look forward to your stretching break. You could put on some relaxing music, light a candle, and focus on gentle stretches.

You can also find stretching classes on YouTube if you need extra motivation or help.

2. Try Relaxation Techniques for Stress Reduction

A lot of people experience stress. If you’re dealing with chronic pain, stress can worsen your pain.

Try a few different relaxation methods. Some people will try progressive or passive muscle relaxation. You can try relaxed breathing or mindfulness.

People with chronic pain can soothe their chronic headaches or arthritis. Some people will pursue tai chi or yoga. These practices use meditation, breath control, and movements to stretch your muscles.

Deep breathing during your chronic pain can help. If the pain begins to feel super intense, people often start taking short and rapid breaths.

These shallow breaths will make you feel anxious or dizzy. Focus on taking deep, slow breaths instead.

You will feel more in control instead of panicked. Also, you can help relax any tense muscles and prevent the pain from worsening.

Learn more about pain management by checking out this comprehensive guide.

3. Don’t Overexert Yourself

There’s a delicate balance between how much you should do and how little you should do each day. Try to make a plan for each day.

Create a balanced list of daily tasks to accomplish. Having some recreational time mixed with responsibilities creates a structured routine.

If you start experiencing pain, you should take a break. This way, you can prevent a massive pain flare-up. Begin to notice when your body’s giving you warning signals. Don’t push yourself too hard.

4. Seek Counseling for Mental Health Issues

Your emotional well-being can affect the experience you have of pain. Learning to cope with your pain will ultimately improve your quality of life.

Look at treating depression or anxiety to help reduce your chronic pain. Treating your mental health issues will also end up boosting your quality of life.

Speak to your doctor or healthcare provider if you notice any problems with depression or anxiety. You could also research pain management doctors in your area.

5. Pursue Your Hobbies

Trying to manage your pain can feel like your primary focus.

Yet, you should also make time for your hobbies and passions. Try to continue to schedule a few leisure activities throughout the week. Doing something fun will help lower the effects of pain signals in your body.

6. Keep Connecting With Your Social Network

It’s important to continue reaching out to friends and family members. If you can’t meet them in person, try to video chat or call them on the phone.

Talking to friends and family will help you focus on the pain. Explain to your friends and family what you deal with and how your chronic pain impacts your day.

Look into joining a community support group. Community support groups are excellent because you meet other like-minded people.

7. Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Poor quality of sleep can often worsen chronic pain. Aim to improve your sleep hygiene by developing a nighttime routine.

You should try relaxation techniques. Try reading a book an hour before bed instead of using technology.

Try not to drink caffeine or eat sugary foods before bed. If you're hungry, have a small snack.

8. Consider Occupational or Physical Therapy

A physical therapist will help you through a series of different exercises. These exercises can improve or even preserve your mobility and strength.

An occupational therapist can take time to teach you how to complete daily activities. They will show you how to do things without aggravating the pain.

9. Biofeedback

Have you heard of biofeedback before?

This is a technique that involves learning breathing and relaxation exercises. You also use a biofeedback machine. The biofeedback machine turns data on physiological functions.

For example, your blood pressure or heart rate will appear as visual cues. Watching and modifying these visuals helps you have control over your pain response.

10. Music Therapy

For music lovers, you might feel encouraged by this option. Music can help relieve some pain in people with fibromyalgia. Some people report improved mobility, as well.

Try listening to any music to help distract you from your discomfort. Classical music has proven to work well. See what works best for you.

Contact Us Today for Help With Pain Management

We hope this guide on pain management was helpful. Try out a few of these methods and see what works best for you. You could always connect with a local pain management clinic as well.

Do you need help with pain management? Consider scheduling an appointment with Colorado Pain Experts.

Learn how to improve your quality of life and make some lifestyle changes. You can also find more helpful guides like this on our blog.

Knee pain is one of the most common complaints from Americans of all ages. You could develop knee pain due to arthritis, an injury, or another condition. Without treatment, chronic knee pain could impact your quality of life.

Here are six tips that can help you find knee pain relief. With a knee pain management plan, you could keep it from impacting your mobility.

Learning how to manage your pain could help you avoid surgery, too.

Put a plan into action with these tips today.

1. Try RICE

First, take a moment to consider your injury. Understanding your pain can help you determine the best course for knee pain relief.

For example, you can usually treat mild to moderate knee pain at home.

If your symptoms are due to arthritis, a minor injury, or inflammation, the pain should subside without medical attention. You can use most of these knee pain management tips for relief.

If your pain is moderate to severe, however, there's a chance your symptoms will get worse without treatment. Make sure to visit a doctor right away for a professional assessment.

You might experience mild to moderate pain if you strained or sprained your knee. For a minor injury, use RICE:

• Rest
• Ice
• Compression
• Elevation

First, sit down and get comfortable. Apply a cold compress or bag of ice to your knee. Make sure to cover it using a towel first.

Wrap your knee using a compression bandage. Wrapping can help you avoid swelling.

Make sure not to wrap your knee too tightly. You don't want to cut off circulation.

Then, rest and relax. Keep your foot elevated as you give your body time to heal.

2. Start Exercising

Exercising will help keep your muscles strong and body flexible. Daily exercise can help you improve your mobility, too. If you're struggling with osteoarthritis knee pain, exercising could offer knee pain relief.

Though using the RICE method can help, resting too long could stiffen the joint. Remaining immobile for long periods might even slow down your recovery rate.

Exercising might help slow down the rate of damage to your joints.

Consider working with a physical therapist, pain specialist, or personal trainer. Having a professional with you can help you avoid a potential injury. A physical therapist or trainer will ensure you're using the proper techniques.

Consider exploring low-impact exercises like walking, cycling, or swimming. You might want to give tai chi or yoga a try, too.

Consider picking up tai chi, too. Tai chi is an ancient Chinese mind and body exercise. Over time, it could help improve your flexibility and balance.

According to one study, patients with osteoarthritis found tai chi beneficial as an alternative treatment option. With practice, it could help improve your range of motion while easing your pain symptoms.

It can also help reduce your stress levels. Otherwise, stress can contribute to inflammation, which might increase your chronic pain.

If you have a flare-up, severe knee pain, or an injury, take a rest from exercising instead. Consider gentler exercises as well.

Work with a pain specialist to determine a program that suits your needs and goals.

3. Choose Hot or Cold

You can also find knee pain relief for mild or moderate pain using hot or cold therapy.

For example, you can use a cold pack to reduce inflammation and swelling. Hot therapy, on the other hand, could relieve your pain while you're resting.

Whether you prefer hot or cold pain, make sure to alternate between the two.

Try to apply cold pads for 20 minutes a day, four to eight times a day, within two days of experiencing symptoms. Use a gel pack more often during the first 24 hours after you're injured.

Only apply heat for 20 minutes at a time. Make sure it's not too hot before applying it. Always wrap the pad up to avoid direct contact with the skin.

Otherwise, consider taking a warm shower or bath.

4. Lose Weight

If you're overweight or obese, you could unintentionally put additional pressure on your knee joints. Losing weight might help provide relief for painful knees.

In fact, being just 10 pounds overweight can add an additional 15 to 50 pounds of pressure on your knees. Losing 10% of your body weight could cut arthritis pain in half.

Losing 20% might reduce your pain by another 25% or more.

People with a higher body mass index (BMI) have a greater chance of developing osteoarthritis than those with a low BMI, too.

Consider using weight management techniques to reduce putting additional pressure on your knees.

Make sure to work with a doctor to develop a plan for losing weight. For example, they might recommend dietary changes and exercise.

5. Explore Herbal Remedies

Herbal ointments featuring ginger, mastic, sesame oil, and cinnamon might help offer pain relief. Otherwise, consider over-the-counter arthritis creams that feature salicylate. Salicylate is a topical pain-relief treatment.

Willow bark is sometimes used to relieve joint pain and inflammation, too.

Don't use willow bark if you're on blood thinners or medication for low blood pressure. Avoid willow bark if you're also using another anti-inflammatory drug or acetazolamide.

Consider consulting a doctor before exploring herbal remedies.

6. Visit a Specialist

If you're struggling with chronic knee pain, don't hesitate to visit a specialist. They might determine your pain is due to an underlying condition. With their help, you can develop a customized treatment plan based on your needs.

Your doctor can complete a physical examination and order a blood test or X-rays, too.

Make sure to visit a doctor right away if you experience:

• Signs of an infection (like fever)
• Symptoms that persist longer than a few days
• Symptoms that get worse over time
• Severe pain and swelling
• Deformity or severe bruising

The sooner you seek professional help, the sooner you can start the most effective course of treatment.

Ease the Ache: Use These Tips for Knee Pain Relief Today

Don't let chronic pain impact your mobility or quality of life. Instead, consider using these tips for knee pain relief. Remember to visit a specialist right away if your symptoms persist.

A few small changes could help ease your pain in no time.

Want to discuss your knee pain management plan with a professional? We're here to help.

Schedule an appointment with a top-rated pain management clinic today to get started.

Did you know that roughly 20% of adults will experience back pain in their lifetime? With statistics this high, it’s not a matter of IF you’ll get back pain, but rather WHEN.

The good news is that you can often experience back muscle pain relief with a few simple changes to your day. So, to help you get the pain relief you deserve we’ll go over some easy tips you can try at home.

And, if your chronic pain is still around after, we’ll put you in touch with professionals that can help you out. Let’s get started!

1. Improve Your Posture

Poor postures are one of the main reasons why people experience back pain. It’s not hard to see why. Our bodies weren’t made to be sitting for long stretches of the day.

So, to get comfortable we often slouch or hunch over our computers. But, this is a problem for our backs because it puts pressure on our neck nerves. So, it’s important to pay attention to your posture.

Make sure you're sitting up straight while you sit. One way you can do this is by contracting your abdominal muscles. Sadly, it’s hard for a lot of people to remember to do this throughout the day.

One solution is to purchase an ergonomic desk chair that forces you to sit with good posture. Or, if you’re adventurous you can try a standing desk. Both of these options will help you actively think about posture while you work.

2. Exercise Regularly

Being overweight is another reason why some people experience back pain. Unfortunately, this pain often prevents them from exercising. But, this inactivity is worse for a sore back.

So, try to find exercise activities that you can do with pain. The best options are low-impact activities like biking, water aerobics, and walking. If you feel up for it, you should also try focusing on your core.

Strong abdominal muscles are vital for stabilizing the core. Without a strong core, you’ll get a bad posture. And, as we just learned bad posture easily leads to back pain.

3. Get Massages Often

Ideally, you can get a professional massage done often. This can help significantly with back pain. But, a lot of people don’t have the budget for these types of expensive massages.

One solution is to ask a family member or loved one if they’ll massage your back. You can also try massaging yourself. It won’t feel as good, but it does make a difference.

If you can’t reach the sore spot with your hands, try getting creative. Put tennis balls, a baseball bat wrapped in towels, or a frozen water bottle on the ground. Then, sit back on it and begin rolling back and forth.

4. Try Meditating

It’s easy for those that are unfamiliar with the power of meditation to scoff at the idea that it could help back pain. But, it’s important to remember that the mind is a very powerful thing. Just take this study for instance.

The University of Manchester found the individuals who meditated every day reported that their pain was less unpleasant.

This is huge news for anyone that lives with chronic pain. What’s more, meditation comes with added health benefits including things like:

• Reduced anxiety
• Helps people fall asleep
• Lowers blood pressure

If you’re skeptical about meditation try giving it a shot. And don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t come to you right away. Meditation takes time. Just stick with it and you’ll start to see a positive change in your life.

5. Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods

When we experience back pain it’s because our muscles are inflamed. This causes swelling and pain. So, a great way to combat this inflammation is to eat balanced foods and spices that bring back pain relief.

The secret is a diet that consists of healthy proteins, vegetables, and whole grains. However, you can also search out foods, drinks, and spices that come with anti-inflammatory properties.

Look for things like fish oil, turmeric, ginger, tart cherry juice, green tea, and apple cider vinegar.

6. Pay Attention to How You Sleep

The way you sleep can contribute to your back pain. Sleeping on your stomach is awful for your back. And, sleeping on your side can cause your top leg to slide forward and twist your lower back.

One solution is to sleep on your back. Or, you can try sleeping with an extra pillow between your legs on your side. This will prevent your leg from sliding and keep your spine aligned while you sleep.

7. Seek Help for Chronic Pain

If you suffer from chronic back pain, there’s only so much that these types of home remedies can do. Eventually, you will need professional help. So, when should you seek it out?

If your back pain hasn’t decreased after a few months, it’s time to seek back pain experts. Sometimes all that’s needed is an over-the-counter medication and certain types of ointments.

But, if your back pain is being caused by a specific condition, you may need more comprehensive back pain treatments. This typically involves prescription medication, physical therapy, and cortisone injections.

Make sure you choose back pain professionals that get to the root of the problem instead of just treating the pain.

Tried Everything for Back Muscle Pain Relief? Contact Us

We hope this article helped you learn some tips for back muscle pain relief. But, what should you do if you’ve tried everything and nothing works? Easy: contact us.

Here at Colorado Pain Relief, we know what a menace chronic pain can be. All too often healthcare professionals on the pain itself instead of the treatment for back pain.

That’s why we use a multi-disciplinary approach that includes things like physical therapy, medication, chiropractic care, and more. So, if you’re ready for the pain relief you deserve contact us today.

Are you one of the over 50 million Americans that live with chronic pain?

If so, you know how uncomfortable, frustrating, and even isolating everyday discomfort can be. And, you're already well aware of how this can impact your life, sapping your energy and making it hard to enjoy anything.

If you feel like you've tried everything and the pain just won't go away, it might be time to see a specialist. A pain management doctor can help get to the root of your condition, treating pain at its source and helping you get your life back!

Read on to learn if this type of treatment is right for you.

What Is Chronic Pain?

This condition is defined as pain that lasts for weeks, months, or years, after an injury or as the result of an illness. If left untreated, chronic pain can develop into an even more serious condition called chronic pain syndrome or CPS. People living with CPS often develop symptoms other than pain, including depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

Sometimes, chronic pain is easy to diagnose or even expected. For example, following a major surgery or accident, or when dealing with a disease like cancer. But, that isn't always the case. Chronic pain can sometimes take years to diagnose, especially in patients suffering from hard to understand diseases like fibromyalgia, endometriosis, cystic fibrosis, and Lyme disease.

So, if you've been dealing with pain for a long time and nobody can figure out what's going on, it is absolutely time to see a specialist.

What Is a Pain Management Doctor?

When you think about pain management, you might automatically expect a treatment plan that relies heavily on powerful prescription pain pills. But, prescribing medication is only one part of what a pain management specialist does.

Doctors for pain management are trained to approach each patient's symptoms differently, from diagnosis to treatment and beyond. They can apply a wide variety of treatments, most of which are non-invasive and don't rely on dangerous drugs.

In addition to treating your pain, this type of doctor may suggest changes to your lifestyle. These commonly include weight gain or loss, exercise and physical therapy, and mindful practices like yoga and meditation.

In most cases, pain management doctors accept patients similarly to any clinic or hospital, working with most major insurance plans and accepting clients both as referrals and as walk-ins.

Pain Management Techniques

During your first visit to a pain management specialist, you'll focus first on your diagnosis and then on a treatment plan.

Pain management specialists treat all types of back pain, as well as knee pain, joint pain, nerve pain, and more. So, each patient's treatment regime will be entirely unique.

Common techniques to stop chronic discomfort include nerve blocks, anti-inflammatory injections like cortisone, stem cell and PRP therapy, and in some cases, prescription medication. Pain management can also include chiropractic care, massage therapy, acupuncture, and other bodywork to help relieve muscle tension and inflammation.

If you are dealing with CPS or symptoms beyond physical pain, counselling might also be suggested to help you cope.

Why Not Manage Your Own Pain?

Americans are in more chronic pain than ever before - a trend mirrored by the fact that the number of Americans addicted to pain killers has hit a new all-time high. In fact, it's estimated that more than two million Americans abuse opioids. And, nearly 100 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day.

For most people, managing their own pain comes down to taking dangerous drugs that are addictive and potentially fatal. Attempting to treat your own pain can also delay important treatments like physical therapy, allowing your overall health to deteriorate in the meantime.

Other patients turn to holistic healthcare when mainstream medicine has failed to help mitigate their pain. While many of these natural treatments do work to some extent, few are backed by science. Other therapies that don't rely on western medicine might mask your symptoms temporarily - but are unlikely to treat the root cause of your pain.

Is It Time to See a Specialist?

When was the last time you weren't in pain? If it's been a while, your pain is probably classified as chronic.

You can also use how much physical pain you're feeling as a metric for when it's time to see a pain management doctor. If your pain is interfering with daily life and regular routines like work and family obligations, you've probably passed the point where you can rely on regular treatment.

Still not sure that it's worth it to see a specialist? Consider this - pain management doctors can do more than just treat your symptoms. They are able to coordinate treatment between multiple doctors and healthcare professionals, acting as an advocate dedicated to relieving your symptoms.

A pain management specialist might also be able to help patients who are living in pain but have not been diagnosed. They are often familiar with uncommon and uncomfortable medical conditions that regular MDs and family practitioners might miss the signs and symptoms of.

Pain Relief at Last

Now that you've learned a bit about what a pain management doctor can do for you, it's time to perform an honest self-assessment.

Have you been in pain for weeks, or even months? If so, it's time to stop the suffering! Leaving your pain untreated will increase your chances of developing CPS and other associated conditions.

Contact Colorado Pain Experts or call 970-473-7900 today. Our compassionate team treats all types of chronic and acute pain. We make it our mission to find the condition and stop it in its tracks while finding the initial cause of the pain.