Deana Tsiapalis, Author at Pain 2 Possibilities - Page 6 of 7
Pain 2 Possibilities

All posts by Deana Tsiapalis

Understanding Pain – Part 1

Yes, chronic pain is a wildly complicated, complex process.

At Pain 2 Possibilities, we believe that managing your pain means truly understanding your pain.

So just like any good story we are going to take you back to the very beginning…

When you were born, you were equipped with some pretty amazing ‘built ins’. You acquired a body and a brain that combined is a machine that is intuitive, adaptable and responsive. It may not always feel like an amazing machine when you are living day in and day out with persistent pain. But I am here to remind  you just how amazing you and your systems really are! Each and every day your body and brain are going through some pretty complex processes to sustain you. Let’s take a moment to showcase some of those innate features.

When your body temperature rises due to environmental, exercise, hormonal factors and illness, your body instinctively knows what to do to protect your cells. Once your core reaches a certain temperature your body begins to sweat to start the cooling process.

When there is a stimuli (also known as a threat),  perceived or real,  the sympathetic nervous system stimulates the adrenal glands to trigger the release of neurotransmitters (adrenaline). This results in an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate to help get you into fight or flight mode (or sometimes the ‘deer in the headlights’ freeze). This all happens at lightening speed to prepare you for what ever decision you make…to defend, to protect.

Or how about the high speed withdrawal reflex when your hand senses extreme heat on a stove top of which includes a sensory input, central processing, and motor output. This all happens without us even having to think of it nor control it consciously. That’s a highly sophisticated process that happens in a very short period of time and it is meant to protect us from harm. Your limbic system is pretty incredible.

For our last example, I want you to take a moment and think about your favourite meal. Think about what it looks like, what it smells like and finally what it tastes like. Take your time and think of that meal in detail. Now notice what your mouth and salivary glands are doing.  This stimuli and response is incredibly powerful! And it is one of the best examples we have of how your thoughts affect or influence your physical self (which we will address in another post).

Why is this important? Because pain has purpose. Pain is our bodies natural defence mechanism against harm when exposed to a short term stimuli like an injury, damaged tissue, bruises, for real and perceived danger.

Acute Vs Chronic Pain

So our next step in understanding pain is deciphering between Acute and Chronic Pain and how one becomes the other.

Acute pain, as described by webmd.com ‘comes on suddenly and has a limited duration. It's frequently caused by damage to tissue such as bone, muscle, or organs, and it usually disappears when the underlying cause of pain has been treated or has healed.’
Whereas acute pain lasts for days up to 6 months, chronic pain lasts for much longer and is much more complex. It is the pain that stretches beyond the tissue healing.

So how does acute pain become chronic? There is still much to learn about this transition but what we do know is described best by ‘Medpage Today’. They state, ‘acute pain progresses to chronic pain when repeated or continuous nerve stimulation precipitates a series of altered pain pathways, resulting in central sensitization and impaired central nervous system mechanisms.’

Let’s unpack this a little bit. The key concepts in this description are ‘repeated or continuous nerve stimulation’, ‘altered pain pathways’ and ‘impaired central nervous system’.

Nerve stimulation can come from many different sources and can be both physical and emotional in nature. In the world of pain education we call it the Biopsychosocial model, where pain is an intertwining of biological, psychological and sociological factors (stay tuned for more on this). When our nervous system is constantly bombarded with stimulation of pain, worry, fear, stress, trauma, self doubt, and more our pain pathways become physically changed thereby impairing their function. This includes impaired sleep, immune function and overall healing. Just like our Wifi…our nervous system can become ‘glitchy’ (I hear this word A LOT when my son is complaining about our Wifi).

So what is the good news? Just because those pain pathways in your nervous system have been altered does not mean that they cannot heal. They may never be ‘fixed’ but they can be improved which inevitably will change your experience with pain. Neuroplasticity, as defined by Oxford Languages is the ‘the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.’ Yes, you read that correctly, your brain can regenerate and change, it just takes some know-how and lots of practice.

Stay tuned for our next instalment where we will discuss the Biopsychosocial model (it is such an important part of your pain experience that it deserves it’s own blog post!)

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Holding Our Breath

Breathing is the greatest pleasure in life"      Giovanni Papini


​Breathing before the pandemic?

It was an afterthought for the fortunate ones, simply an act of our autonomic nervous system doing it's job without our even having to think about it. For others with vulnerable lungs, a precious gift where life is breathed in with every thoughtful breath.

Breathing our way through a pandemic has refocused our attention on our beautiful often fragile lungs. From the thought of Covid-19 being spread into our lungs or to others, to the frontline workers finding breathing challenging in protective gear to our holding our collective breath globally bracing for the impact of this disease.

We are more conscious of our breath than ever before. ​And in my humble opinion, there is always some good that comes from this.

So let's dive in and show you how breathing is a powerful tool in your covid-19 toolbox with these five strategies.

​1) Bringing the breath back to 'front and centre':

As I mentioned earlier, the breath is controlled by your autonomic nervous system. When you are at rest, your body knows to slow the breathing without even thinking about it. Just as it does when you start to exercise, your heart rate increases, so too does the rate of your breath to keep up with the increase in demand for oxygen. Our bodies respond the same while under acute stress. When stress is prolonged (such as the times we find ourselves in now) our breathing lingers in this fight or flight mode with shallow, short breaths.

​​Bringing the breath back to front and centre simply means thinking about our breath and actively challenging that mindful breath. It means breathing through your nose, slowing your breath, breathing deeply and visualizing four corner breath.

​Paying attention to breathing through your nose engages the lungs' filtration system by activating the little hairs that line the inside of your nasal passages. These small warriors are our first line of defense against foreign invaders.

​In this time of uncertainty that we find ourselves in, our breathing becomes more shallow. Shallow breaths only stimulates the upper portion of your lungs so instead, place your hands on the sides of your rib cage and consciously breathe deeply into your hands. Visualize your lungs like a balloon that you are slowing filling up from top to bottom and side to side. These slow, deep breaths stimulate the nerves at the base of the lungs, activating the relaxation response.

​Four corner breathing is a simple technique that you can use to not only stimulate our 'rest and digest' mode but in the age of covid-19, can actively lengthen and strengthen our lungs.

Sitting or lying down comfortably, ​visualize  the outline of a book or a picture frame.

​As you follow your eyes along the top edge of the book take a slow, deep breath in and count. When your eyes turn the corner and follow the book's edge down, hold your breath and count. When your eyes turn the corner again to follow the bottom edge, breathe out slowly and completely. Hold you breath one last time while your eyes follow the outside of the book up to the start point. ​

As you expand your lungs and your breathing practice, increase the amount of time that you inhale and hold your breath for. Eventually, the goal is to exhale twice as long as you inhale and to extend the length of time holding your breath.

Another technique to try with healthy lungs is to inhale fully through the nose, hold on top briefly and then before exhaling, try to take in one more breath...filling up those lungs completely.

Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile.  Dwelling in the present, I know this is a wonderful moment."      Thich Nhat Hahn

2) Laughter:

Not only is laughter so therapeutic emotionally, it also serves the lungs beautifully. When you laugh​​​​, your lungs are rid of stale air and more oxygen can enter. This is because laughter helps to expand the alveoli in your lungs. ... Expanding these means that the area for oxygen exchange is bigger and more oxygen enters your lungs. In a time when we are trying to protect our lung output and functionality, laughter is a key component. This is why, now more then ever, we need to turn off the news and turn on a funny movie, to reconnect and laugh with friends (online), or get silly with the kids and grandkids.

3) Movement & Posture:

​Body position can influence respiratory function. Changes in body position can alter the length of the respiratory muscles (the diaphragm and the muscles in between the ribs), thereby influencing its ability to generate tension​.

Several studies have reported that a slumped posture or prolonged sitting significantly reduces lung capacity and expiratory flow, ​ compared with a normal upright posture​. We are living in a time where social isolation has seriously increased our cellphone and laptop use which ultimately increases our rounded forward posture even more.

So what's the moral of the story?

We've got to keep moving! Even patients with Covid-19 are being told to move their limbs, practice their breathing to help elongate those respiratory muscles. Roll your shoulders, open up your ribcage, lift your arms above your head, be mindful of your posture...all these movements count and have massive impact.

4) Singing:

Singing in the car or in the shower is essentially a mindful way to breathe...without even having to think about it. The rhythmic breathing required in singing somewhat mimics the breath control practiced in mindfulness meditation. So let go of any inhibition and belt it out!

5) Getting outside for fresh air:

This is an obvious one but a simple walk outside can raise your immune system and your spirits. "Exercise leads to an increase in natural killer cells, neutrophils and monocytes, which ultimately increases immune function," Ather Ali, ND, MPH. If it is warm enough to do so where you live, take your shoes off and put your feet on the earth and reconnect. 

As we metaphorically and physically hold our breath waiting for this pandemic to come to an end (and it will), take a deep breath and let that go. Soon enough our global community will exhale with a collective sigh of relief. ​

When Emotional Intelligence Meets Pain Management

​Emotional intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ) is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, manage pain, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict. EI can be thought of simply as the power house three's...our attention to emotions, clarity in understanding emotions, and emotion regulation.

When dealing with pain and all of it's 'ripple effects' our mindset and our emotions affect our perception of pain, how we ​deal with anxiety related to pain (or life stressors) and how we communicate with others about our pain. And the truth of the matter is, most of us aren’t taught how to identify or deal with our own emotions, or the emotions of others let alone how to deal with those emotions while living with chronic pain.

​So why is understanding your EQ an important part of your pain management strategy?

According the article, 'Emotional Intelligence Moderates Anxiety Reactions in Chronic Health Conditions' as cited in the American Journal of Applied Psychology,  Emotional Intelligence plays a major role in determining not only the experience of anxiety but it also helps to moderate the amount of anxiety experienced.​ In other words it represents an individuals ability and tendency to ‘work well with emotions’ and to regulate emotional responses in a way that allows for more effective coping

There is a lot to unpack here so let's start by understanding a little bit more about Emotional Intelligence and it's protective effect through mechanisms related to stress processing and regulation.

In one well known model of EI, as written by psychologist Daniel Goleman, 'The Mixed Model' has 5 key areas:

  • Self Awareness: Self-awareness involves knowing your own feelings. This includes having an accurate assessment of what you’re capable of, when you need help, and what your emotional triggers are.
  • ​Self Management: This involves being able to keep your emotions in check when they become disruptive. Self-management involves being able to control outbursts, calmly discussing disagreements, and avoiding activities that undermine you like extended self-pity or panic.
  • ​Motivation: Everyone is motivated to action by rewards like money or status. Goleman’s model, however, refers to motivation for the sake of personal joy, curiosity, or the satisfaction of being productive.
  • Empathy: While the three previous categories refer to a person’s internal emotions, this one deals with the emotions of others. Empathy is the skill and practice of reading the emotions of others and responding appropriately.
  • Social Skills: This category involves the application of empathy as well as negotiating the needs of others with your own.

I have always said that those who live with chronic pain are acutely aware of their bodies. More aware of where they carry their tension, how they carry themselves, where they feel the pain. It's a matter of necessity when trying to describe their experience to their health care team and loved ones (if they are listening). ​

This is where we get to take the self awareness piece one step further. Improving your self-awareness is the first step to identifying any problem area you’re facing. Here are some ways to improve your self-awareness:

  • Keep a journal of your emotions: at the end of each day, write down what you experienced, how you felt and how you dealt with it (you can address both the physical and emotional here). This not only helps you to articulate what you are feeling for yourself (a healthy outlet) but also it can offer real clarity to your physician and your loved ones when the time comes to communicate with them.
  • Ask for input from others: when dealing with your self-perception, input from others can be invaluable. Try to ask multiple people who are in the same situation as yourself and who know you well, where your strengths and weaknesses lie, especially in how you deal with your persistent pain. Write down what they say, compare what they say to each other and, again, look for patterns. Most importantly, don’t argue with them. They don’t have to be correct. You’re just trying to gauge your perception from another's point of view. It is important to ask these questions to those who know what life is like with chronic pain as they will fully understand what you are going through.
  • ​Slow down or meditate: Emotions have a habit of getting the most out of control when we don’t have time to slow down or process them or when you live in a state of perpetual 'fight or flight' mode due to your pain. The next time you have an emotional reaction to something, try to pause before you react​. You can also try meditating to slow your brain down and give your emotional state room to breathe. Meditating also allows you to a) switch the fight or flight response into more of the rest and digest mode so you can cut through the 'noise' and reconnect with your thoughts and sensations and, b) become aware and more accepting of the emotions and sensations you feel by looking more inwards​, rather than focusing solely on external factors.

Emotional Intelligence is a highly effective tool when it comes to mitigating the pain through tough conversations. As you probably know all too well, communicating with loved ones and professionals can often be stressful and when tough conversations arise, the pain can become more intense. The more aware we are of our emotional state during these times the more able we are to respond accordingly so not to increase the physical pain.

Self Management: Once you know how your emotions work, you can start figuring out how to handle them. Proper self-management means controlling your outbursts to reduce stress, distinguishing between external triggers and internal over-reactions, acknowledging negative self talk and rewarding more self serving internal dialogue, and doing what’s best for your needs.

One key way to manage your emotions is to change your sensory input. If simply breathing through it is just not cutting it then try giving your physical body a shift to break the cycle. If you’re feeling lethargic, do some movement, get up out of the couch. If you’re stuck in an emotional loop, give yourself a metaphorical “snap out of it” slap. Anything that can give a slight 'shock' to your system or break the existing routine can help. Funneling emotional energy into something productive can also be very helpful. It’s alright to let overwhelming emotions stew inside you for a moment, if it’s not an appropriate time to let them out. However, when you do, rather than vent it on something futile, turn it into motivation instead by getting back to the things you enjoy such as crafting, hiking, reading, creating, or writing.

Motivation: When addressing motivation as it relates to emotional intelligence and ​chronic pain we’re talking about your inner drive to accomplish something. As Psychology today explains, there’s a section of your prefrontal cortex that lights up at the mere thought of achieving a meaningful goal. And yes, chronic pain warriors can have goals and aspirations as it is such a healthy and meaningful way to look ahead.

Empathy: Empathy is your most important skill for navigating your relationships​. Empathy is important because it helps us understand how others are feeling so we can respond appropriately to the situation. It is typically associated with social behaviour and there is lots of research showing that greater empathy leads to more helping behaviour. And helping behaviour leads to a broader sense of well-being and vitality.

If you are living in chronic pain you know all too well that empathy can be a bit of a tough subject. There is often a lack of empathy from professionals and loved ones when it comes to addressing or communicating your pain experience. This often comes from a place of not knowing what you live day in and day out. Where empathy becomes an important part of your pain management is in the a) understanding of where you partner is emotionally so it can be addressed together and b) in communicating with them how having empathy could help mitigate your pain. Emotional intelligence helps to bring the awareness, the acknowledgement and the resolution all ​ together.

So how can you practice empathy? In a word....listen!

You can’t experience everyone else’s lives to fully understand them, but you can listen. Listening involves letting someone else talk and then not countering what they say. It means putting aside your preconceptions or skepticism for a bit and allowing the person you’re talking to a chance to explain how they feel. Empathy is hard, but virtually every relationship you have can be improved at least marginally by waiting at least an extra ten seconds before you retake the conversation.

Seek to understand. Understanding is key to having empathy. When someone tells you about an experience that’s not your own, take some time to mull over how your life might be different if you experienced that on a daily basis. This especially rings true for loved ones who don't experience pain day in and day out.

By definition empathy means getting in the emotional dirt with someone else. Allowing their experiences to resonate with your own and responding appropriately. It’s okay to offer advice or optimism, but empathy also requires that you wait for the right space to do so. Be mindful of how they must feel and allow them space to feel it.

It is very important to understand that emotional intelligence is not the opposite of intelligence, it is not the triumph of heart over head - it is the unique intersection of both"    David Caruso


Music 2 Mitigate Pain

​According to Psychology today there is much needed research looking at the link between listening to music and pain tolerance.

The research suggests that it is not only effective in relieving acute and chronic pain but can also help patients manage anxiety and depression.    

According to one study from 2012,  two daily sessions of music listening helped a sample of chronic pain patients relieve symptoms related to conditions such Fibromyalgia, inflammatory disease, or neurological conditions as well as the anxiety and depression linked to chronic pain.

So how music do this?

Since emotion and pain are strongly linked, music that resonates with positive emotions triggers positive memories can also affect mood and the ability to handle pain.  Relaxing music not only calms the harm alarm by reducing heart rate and blood pressure it may also influence how we perceive the passing of time (pleasant memories make time fly faster than unpleasant memories). And, if we are fortunate enough to be moved so completely by a song, to feel a sense of awe in every note then we are shifting our brain into a healthier state of being.

All types of music serve to distract, inspire and motivate each in their own way.

So I went to the experts to find out what music they listen to when they are experiencing chronic pain.

When I say subject matter experts I am referring to those who live with chronic pain day in and day out.

Here is what they have to recommend. A little something for everyone (except for our Country lovers, I seem to be a little short on suggestions here- perhaps you have some).

My apologies for the naming of Genres…it was a little challenging and I am such a rookie! I hope you enjoy

Feel free to add to this growing list in the comments below.

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Artist

Song Name

Genre

Kathy Trocolli

He will make a way

Faith based

Rising Appalachia

Resilient

Indie

Wicked

Defying Gravity

Broadway

Shawn Mendes

In my blood 

Pop

SlipKnot

Wait and Bleed

Rock

Casting Crowns

Nobody

Faith based

The Script

Superhero

Pop

Bullet for my valentine

Tears don’t fall

Rock

Citizen King

Better Days

Rock

Andra Day

Rise Up

Soul

Mama Called

Justin Stone

New Age

Midnight

Justin Stone

New Age

Uncle Kräcker

Drift Away

Rock

Miley Cyrus

The Climb

Pop

Tears For Fears

Shout

80’s pop

For King And Country

It’s Not Over Yet

Country

Carrie Underwood/Vince Gill

How Great Thou Art

Faith based

Survivor

Eye of the tiger

Pop

Jason Mraz

I’m a bit of a rough draft

Pop

Josh Baldwin

Let the Redeemed

Faith based

Tauren Wells

Hills and Valleys

Faith based

Shakira

Try Everything

Movie - Zootopia

Lauren Daigle

You Say

Pop

Bob Marley

Every little thing is going to be all right

Reggae

Wild Nothing

Rhea

Indie

Alex Clare

Tight Rope

Indie

David Bowie

Heros

Alternative rock

Rachel Platton

Fight Song

Pop

Sara Bereilles

Brave

Pop

Post Malone

Rockstar

Rap

Arizona/Avicii

Hold the Line

Pop

Hannah Kerr

Warrior

Faith Based

Uncle Kräcker

Good to be me

Rock

Journey

Don’t stop believing

Rock

Holy Cole Trio

I can see clearly

Jazz

Kate Bush

This Woman’s work

80's alternative

Elsa ( aka Idina Menzel)

Let It Go

Movie -  Frozen

Living In Chronic Pain? Top 10 Tamers to Navigate The Holidays

​Create a list of things you need to get done for the holidays and then pick your top three items. As for the rest, delegate if at all possible or ask for help. It may also be worth it to ask yourself, how important is it for me to get this done?

Pace yourself. First establish a realistic amount of time per day that you believe is reasonable to get some work done. Knowing that you only have a set number of hours to get things done before the pain starts to take over, be sure to work within those time limits. Give yourself permission to be ‘selfish’ in those boundaries (and when I say selfish, I mean in the most respectful way possible).

Connect with people. Even if you feel like the pain is too great and you cannot get out of the house, make a call to a loved one or a close friend or a relative you haven’t connected with in a while. Technology is connecting us in ways that make it much easier without all the uncomfortable travel. Or if you think that getting out of the house would lift your spirits and lessen your pain then get out and enjoy!

Schedule time in your day for daily self care. Think of it as an opportunity to recharge your battery and help you prepare for what’s next. Find a quiet corner to breathe or to lie down, turn off the lights and tune out the tasks of the day and tune in to your thoughts, or just listen to some music. Again, be intentional and make this a non-negotiable!

Keep your appointments throughout the holidays. When things get busy it is all too easy to cancel an appointment when you ‘need’ to get things done. Keep your health and wellbeing a priority so that you can manage the holiday with as much control as possible.

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​Take time to pat your animals. Just 5 minutes of petting an animal can send you a healthy dose of oxytocin to help mitigate the pain. Don’t have a pet but you know someone who does? Take some time with their pet and reap the rewards. Interesting note: your pet also benefits from a hit of oxytocin…it is a win win for both!

Serve your body well with good food. I know this one sounds extremely obvious but it can be really difficult over the holidays when we are surrounded by food. Remind yourself that whole foods actually help your body to fight underlying health issues and supports your mood as well. ​Feel free to enjoy small amounts of the comfort stuff (deserts of course). Then once you have savoured those special morsels, get back onto your health sustaining foods.

Have an Epsom salt bath infused with lavender to help calm the mind and the muscles after a day of battling pain. Be sure to drink water afterwards to help the body flush out the toxins that had accumulated in your body.

Get a good nights sleep. Now I know sleep can be extremely elusive and for many, can be very hard to find. Create a list of things that you know will help you to fall asleep such as warm bath before bed, no caffeine after 2:00 pm, warm blanket to calm the muscles, magnesium before bedtime, meditation apps, breathing apps, cut out electronics two hours before bedtime. Be creative and list as many things as possible that you know of that will help you to fall asleep. If you are having one of those nights where you are struggling to fall asleep then you can lean into any of the strategies that you know work.

Ask yourself at the end of the day, even if it has been a very hard day ‘what was one small win for me today’? You will be amazed with what you come up with. This may take some time to articulate, especially if it has been a tough day but if you think really hard you will likely think of something. Spend some time on that one win, say it out loud or write it down. And then get up the next morning with the idea that you will strive to have one more win today too.

Kinesiophobia and why it is holding you back

​Hard word to say but easy to understand, especially if you are living in chronic or persistent pain.

Kinesiophobia is defined as 'an excessive, irrational and debilitating fear to carry out a physical movement, due to a feeling of vulnerability to a painful injury or reinjury' (Kori S, Miller R, Todd DD. Kiniseophobia: a new review of chronic pain behaviour). Simply put, it is the fear of pain due to movement. It is the second most common cause of disability in the general population.

Here is where the conundrum lies for a person living in chronic pain. 

Physical inactivity is a potential factor for developing and maintaining chronic musculoskeletal pain, whereas physical activity has positive benefits in decreasing pain and disability in many musculoskeletal conditions​. However, for those living with chronic pain, the fear of movement is very real. This fear limits the amount of movement and exercise which then potentially leads to a more sedentary lifestyle.

It becomes a circle of fear and ambivolence which then increases the intensity of pain.

So when exercise is prescribed as a part of your healing regime, kinesiophobia rears it's ugly head ​thereby limiting the benefits of rehabilitative exercises.

So what is one to do?

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  • Work closely with your care provider or manual therapist (chiropractor, osteopath, exercise specialist) to work through an exercise regime specifically that suits your unique needs. Spend time to really get to know these movements because if done well, they will help to make you stronger.
  • ​Practice those small but meaningful moves weekly to master them.
  • Start from where you are. Understand that if you are living in pain, you will not be able to start from where you left off or even where you may have been in the past.
  • ​Be sure to breathe through your exercises as this will help to calm your brain and central nervous system thereby lessening the pain.
  • ​Listen to your body and work within your threshold. This means understanding where your pain lies, what movement that area of your body can tolerate safely and then work within that range.
  • Learn to master a calming, positive mindset to change your experience with pain. (Yes this one takes some practice but will add huge impact in reducing your fear of movement).
  • Be aware of what words are rattling around in your head when you are in pain. Is there any way you can turn those thoughts around into something more empowering? My guess is, yes you can!


Another tool for your pain management toolbox: Sleep

​There is nothing like a good slumber! Sleep is one of the non negotiable tools in your pain management toolbox, and for very good reason. It is one of the most fundamental support systems we have.

We are learning through recent research just how important sleep is when it comes to the maintenance of your overall health and in the recover of pain and injury. It's reach is broad and effects your ability to manage pain, to repair after injury or exercise, to manage autoimmune disorders, stress and emotional well-being, just to name a few!

It can be difficult getting a good nights sleep when you are living with chronic pain which then in turn restricts your healing and unfortunately also increases your pain perception.

​So how does sleep help your body manage pain? Let's explore...

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  • Sleep is a natural anti-inflammatory and helps to reduce inflammation while you slumber.
  • Just like food and water, sleep is a non-negotiable of health and well-being even though it can remain elusive for those with CP.
  • ​Stress management. Without a proper night's sleep, your body experiences greater stress. Stress makes your nervous system more sensitive to pain.
  • You can cope with pain much more effectively with a good rest under your belt due to a decrease in your pain response.

​Sleep can remain a little elusive and challenging at times but try these simple steps to help you get the rest you need to manage your chronic pain a little bit more strategically.

  1. 1
    Create a set schedule for sleep. Be as intentional about when you are going to sleep as you are for eating your meals. Put it in your schedule so that it takes priority.
  2. 2
    Eat dinner a little earlier as a full stomach can keep you up at night and make it harder to fall asleep, especially as we age.
  3. 3
    Remove yourself from electronics well before bedtime and dim the lights. The blue light from electronics stimulates the part of the brain responsible for alertness and readiness.
  4. 4
    Read a book or have some quiet time where you can listen to your breathing and calm your thoughts, especially after a busy or painful day.
  5. 5
    Avoid caffeine (yes that includes chocolate) after 1:00 pm as it is a stimulant and will make it more difficult to fall into quality sleep. (perhaps that means we can eat chocolate for breakfast or is that just wishful thinking?)

How Joy, Pleasure and Awe lessens the pain

​Pain is both a physical AND an emotional experience. Ask anyone living in pain and they will tell you 'hell yes that's true'! 

As a society we have become really good at attempting to block the pain, and in many cases to address the physical pain. We do, however, have some work to do around addressing the emotional side of chronic or persistent pain. And this is where pleasure, joy and awe come in to the rescue!

​Pleasure is the opposite of pain in the spectrum of our human emotions. Pleasure helps to draw our brains away from pain to help us cope by calming our nervous system and bringing us out of the fight or flight mode. We can think of the opposition this way (thanks to Dr. Beth Darnell)...

pain is physical and emotional in a negative way and pleasure is physical and emotional in a positive way"

Experiencing pleasure and joy releases the feel good chemicals in your brain that lowers your pain experience and boosts your mood. And the good news is, you already have this pain management tool built right into your system...you were endowed with it at birth...now we just have to put it into practice!

​So here's the big takeaway...getting out and experiencing life and it's multitude of emotions, most especially joy, pleasure and awe can seriously alter your experience with pain.

​Science shows that the pleasure of remembering things you love stimulates the same changes in your brain as experiencing the same thing.

​Awe is one of the most powerful human emotions we can experience. It is right up there with grief, just on the opposite end of the spectrum of course.

​There was recently a study done by Beau Lotto, a professor of Neuroscience at University College in London where he and his team studied 270 people and their response to awe while watching a Cirque Du Soleil show in Las Vegas. The study divided the group into two. Half of the group wore an EEG cap to measure their brain activity while watching the show where the other group was given a questionnaire before and after the show.

The outcome for both groups were similar with some definite overlap.

 Those who wore the EEG cap while watching the show and experiencing awe became lost in their experience. It was determined that the part of the brain responsible for controlling our attention was less active. They also found that the part of the brain that controls our sense of self had an increase in activity along with an increase in activity in part of the prefrontal cortex which increases our desire to approach a stimuli or to go forward.

In other words they were more willing to take risks, they were more comfortable with uncertainty and they redefined their perceptions of themselves.

Let's let that one sink in a little bit! You can see how powerful of a tool awe can be for​ someone who is being dragged down by the negative emotions associated with pain.

So how do you add awe or pleasure to your pain management tool kit?

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  • Create your list of things that bring you pleasure or creates that sense of awe...brainstorm and then write them down
  • ​Daily dose: Carve out a few minutes per day to practice joy everyday, mix in a little pleasure and if we are lucky...awe. Schedule it into your daily routine and then as Nike says, 'Just Do It'
  • ​When you do experience joy, pleasure or awe be sure to fully appreciate that moment and the feelings associated with it...pay attention to the small details
  • Shared pleasures: Doing something that brings you joy or pleasure with someone you love is double the dose of benefits
  • Keep it simple: It does not need to be some grand adventure...experiences of joy and pleasure and come from many places, especially when we are paying close attention!
  • Rinse and repeat!

Breathe

Breathing is something that we often take for granted day in and day out. As a matter of fact, when I ran a Wellness centre for big Pharma, I would often joke with the employees that they should learn how to breathe. To which they quickly replied…I already know how to breathe. Ever wonder what’s actually going on in there when you take a deep breath? Simply put, it looks like this:
1) lung ventilation:
This is the initiation of external respiration through which inhaling and exhaling occur.
2) gas exchange:
O2 (oxygen) and CO2 (carbon dioxide) pass through the surface of the lungs.
3) gas transfer:
This is the transport of O2 from the lungs (through that inhale) and to the tissues, and of CO2 back to the lungs (for that deep exhale).
Go ahead. . . take another deep breath. Deep abdominal breathing encourages full oxygen exchange — that is, the beneficial trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide. And this is where all good things begin!
Paying attention to our breathing serves many, many benefits. Breath increases energy, calms the nervous system by slowing down the fight or flight response, improves our respiratory system and all the muscles that support it (think Diaphragm, the intercostals between the ribs, into the shoulders and spine), improves our cardiovascular and digestive systems and can slow a busy mind. One of my favourite functions of deep breathing is in the management of pain. I could go on but this is a great start.
One of the simplest ways I can pass along to practice deep, rhythmic breathing is ‘four corner breathing’. Visualize if you will, the outline of a book. As you follow your eyes along the top edge of the book take a slow, deep breath in. When your eyes turn the corner and follow the book’s edge down, hold your breath. When your eyes turn the corner again to follow the bottom edge, breathe out slowly and completely. Hold you breath one last time while your eyes follow the outside of the book up to the start point. This is great for kids and grown ups alike!

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The Flatulent Car And Innocence Lost

‘Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional’
This, by far is one of my favourite quotes from the wildly creative Walt Disney and it resonates with me now more than ever. So what exactly does a car with gas (which is quite ironic as you will see in a moment) and Walt Disney have to do with each other? Allow me to explain…
I was at my very part time corporate job (I run a small employee wellness program at a local engineering company) last week where one of the heads of a department pulled me into her car to show me something. It is a Tesla that has a woopy cushion feature that you can control where the sounds are coming from. Those of you who know me would understand that I instinctively found this to be very amusing! You can also see the irony in the whole thing as it is a Tesla and they do not run on gas…but I digress.
My point is simply this…getting back to your ‘child like’ self can be an extremely healthy adventure! I will take it one step further and say that in losing or misplacing our youthful creativity, we lose out on opportunities for personal growth.
Creativity starts with the willingness to to look at the world through innocent eyes. It involves shaking ourselves from our prejudices and and established thinking or doing habits.
Sadly, the world grinds away at our trust and our innocence. Experience often teaches us to doubt, to scoff or roll our eyes. Think back to when you were young, where the world was a place of limitless possibilities. Everywhere you looked, you found something new and different. This type of boundless clarity is often lacking in our behaviours as adults, especially when it comes to finding solutions to our ‘stuck state’ of wellbeing.
As Aldous Huxley once wrote, “The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” Next time you are feeling stuck, ask your inner child…what would they do?
So, I challenge you. What can you do today that will help you get back to your childlike creativity?
What actions might you take to get you back to a giggly state where you really feel the ‘freeness’ of a deep belly laugh? For me it was simply saying yes (because it would have been very easy for me to say, ‘sorry I don’t have time’) to being in my co-workers car and having a fantastic giggle about something so deliciously juvenile.

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