Easter Update
So, it’s officially Spring and Easter is fast upon us.
Date for your diary – come and join us
We’re part of an Open Evening being held at the Dolphin Leisure Centre, this Thursday, the 6th April, from 5pm-9pm. The event’s being hosted by the Centre and there will be refreshments. There was even mention of wine!
So, if you’ve not been for a while and want to say ‘Hi’ or, if you have a new niggle that you’d like us to quickly look at, come along! It’s a great chance to see what’s changed at the Centre and what else is on offer and it’d be nice to see some friendly faces. We’ll be in the cafe area at the front of the building.
10 quick tips for dealing with long term pain
I know you don’t always have time to read our blogs, so as you start getting out and about a bit more enjoying the milder weather and longer days, here are 10 quick tips for dealing with pain:
- Don’t about conflicting diagnoses
Don’t worry if you’re getting different reasons for the pain from different medical practitioners. Pain is incredibly complex and there’s often more than one reason for it. - Don’t worry about doing more damage
Pain is generated in the brain, not in your back so more often than not, with chronic pain you’re not damaging yourself further. But something is going on that is maintaining the pain. And that needs investigating as much as the back itself.
- Do keep moving
Gently encourage yourself back to movement and exercise. Don’t be tempted to over-rest. - Stay positive
Easily said I know, but try not to think too negatively. Focus on what you can do to recover. - Breathe!
This is very calming for the nervous system and reduces muscle tension. Lie down, relax and breathe out for a beat or two longer than you breathe in.
- Exercise
Our back is designed to move in a whole range of directions but our normal daily movements in modern life are often very linear. Exercise will make sure you twist and bend in the way that you are meant to. Use it or lose it! - Involve friends and family
Try and discourage them from being overly protective. You need to move and need to be allowed to do things.
- Deal with stress
The less day to day stress that we have, the better able the brain is to deal with pain. And you’ll breathe better and have less muscle tension too. - Sleep
We all know what we should do to get a better night’s sleep and what works for us. Prioritise it. - Two step forwards, one step back
Bad day? Don’t worry if it feels like you’ve taken a step back. Focus on what you know works for you (see 1-9 above!) and the steps forward and improvements that you have made.
Keeping you moving
You can find lots more advice about dealing with pain in our blog. And if you don’t want to get into trouble in the first place, have a read of our blog on preventing pain by clicking the button below.
