10 Ways To Manage Chronic Pain

4. Deep Breathing

To ease pain, the practice of breathing deeply along with meditation techniques can be very helpful. Deep breaths relax the body from tension and tightness so the muscles can become more relaxed. When the body and all of the muscles are deeply relaxed, chronic pain is not as intense. The deep breathing also feeds your organs with oxygen which creates internal health.

Many forms of meditation are available but practices that focus on the breath are best for chronic pain. Focus on breathing in slowly, hold the breath for a few seconds and slowly breathe out. If thoughts arise, let them go and repeat a positive phrase that helps you to relax. It can take time to get used to the process of doing nothing in meditation but continue with the practice.

If you’re more comfortable with just breathing deeply to relax the body, do so in a quiet and comfortable space. Breathe into your stomach and imagine it’s filling up like a balloon. As you breathe out, image your abdomen is like a balloon deflating. It has been suggested that the yoga discipline of Asana is a powerful tool to alleviate chronic pain. It is the practice of both yoga breath work and meditation.

3. Avoid These Foods

There are certain foods that will cause inflammation which is a common cause of pain. It’s the chemicals in foods that perpetuate pain. They include; tomatoes, dairy, chocolate, eggs, citrus fruits, high fat red meat, wheat, processed food of any kind.

Liquids that should be avoided include; red wine, coffee, tea or pop.