Healthy Habits - Manging Aches and Pains

 A few years ago, I was in a major car accident. Anyone who has ever had a major injury knows that recovery is a long-term process. Plus, I'm in my 40s, so my body isn't as young as it used to be - there are going to be some general aches and pains from getting older.

I don't like to take medication if I can help it. While pain isn't comfortable, I know that if I deaden the pain too much, I'm more likely to overdo it and make injuries worse. I have a relatively high pain tolerance too, so normally that's not too bad. When I do need to deal with pain, I try a variety of strategies before popping a pain reliever. There are a variety of pain relief options that don't involve ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

First, I manage activity levels. Ironically, if I do either too much or not enough activity, I have extra pain. So I need to find the right balance. If I do a variety of different types of physical activity, and space it out throughout the day, it seems to work best. For me, a combination of cardio, modified/light cardio, stretching/yoga, strength exercises, swimming - pretty much whatever - is what I need to do. Otherwise I end up overdoing one particular part of my body. 

Second, I make sure to move. This sort of goes along with the first one, but if I sit for too long, especially on certain chairs, it makes things worse. So I make sure to move throughout the day.

Depending on the pain, sometimes wrapping/supporting it helps. When I've twisted an ankle in the past, keeping it wrapped helps support it so I don't injure it further while moving around. Massage also works for some types of muscle soreness.

Finally, I try a pain relief cream. This can help provide targeted relief right at the point of aches and pain, and for many people, it is very effective.

Working with your own body's needs - and making sure to address your mental and emotional needs as well - is important when recovering from pain, whether it's acute or chronic. What do you do for pain relief?

Disclosure: This post sponsored by Responsival