Healthy Habits: Pain Relief Strategies

 What do you do for pain relief? There are several types of pain that I experience, and different solutions that I use depending on the pain issue - migraine, headache, injury, muscle ache - each one seems suited to a different option, like OTC drugs, pain relief cream, ice or heat, and other options.

First off, I get migraines. I am fortunate that they aren't as frequent as some, but they still have a significant impact. My biggest way to manage pain with migraines is to do preventive techniques to reduce their severity. Because my migraines are triggered, and one big trigger is dehydration, I can keep most migraines to a dull roar by making sure that I'm adequately hydrated. For some people, chocolate can be a trigger, but it actually seems to help for me. Otherwise, relaxation techniques and OTC drugs - as well as a nap - are the ways I handle it (I'm unable to take some migraine medications and others aren't suited for infrequent migraines).

I still have lingering pain from a car accident, which I pretty much just try to ignore - I don't want to mask pain too much and injure myself worse. (Fun fact, my body doesn't respond well at all to narcotics; I've found that out the hard way - I just feel sick and still hurt.)

For injuries, obviously ice, support, elevation, and rest help, and for cramped muscles, gentle heat definitely helps as well. I try not to take OTC drugs unless absolutely necessary - again, I don't want to accidentally make injuries worse. I also want to minimize what I'm taking - which means that sometimes an external pain relief cream is the best option.

Pain relief creams are nice because they're targeted right to the injury site. They can also be an option for a natural anti inflammatory for pregnancy, when soon-to-be moms are looking for options that are drug free. It's been a long time since I had to worry about that, but I do remember how appreciative I was for natural pain relief options when I was pregnant!

There are a lot of different ways to manage pain, so it might take a little experimenting to find out what works for you!

This post is a partnership between Responsival and this blog.