We understand that living with chronic pain harms your mental health. It prevents you from enjoying a decent quality of life.
When it gets really bad, unrelenting pain can also contribute to the development of generalized anxiety disorders, agoraphobia, and clinical depression.
While chronic pain can hamper your quality of life, there are ways to help to manage pain and lead a healthier life and find relief.
Studies show that myofascial release therapy improves soft tissue mobility, reduces pain, and enhances the overall range of motion.
It works by releasing tension in the fascia, allowing your muscles to move more efficiently, and relieving pressure on the nerves. Improving the health of the myofascial system also helps improve blood and oxygen circulation, which is essential for healing.
Another way to deal with ongoing pain is to incorporate changes into your lifestyle, as they can have a powerful effect on how you manage the pain and, combined with myofascial therapy - enable you to live a more fulfilling life.
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So, if you’re in pain now, try these tips and let us know how you get on:
Lower stress levels:
Not many people know that high-stress levels worsen chronic pain. It can also be a self-perpetuating cycle. Any kind of strong emotions like anger, sadness, grief, long-term anxiety, stress, or depression can all intensify pain in the body.
More pain equals more pressure, and the cycle continues. So, one of the fundamental ways to manage pain in your body is to reduce stress as much as possible.
There are different ways to relieve stress. Calming music is one way to relieve stress and uplift your mood.
Audio relaxation tracks are also available to download online or listen to on Spotify or Apple Music.
Using guided imagery or mental imagery is another technique of relaxing that helps to lower stress by creating peaceful images in the mind when you feel “stressed” and out of balance.
You can also try progressive "muscle tension and relaxation," where you tense and relax each muscle groups in the body one by one sequentially. This technique can help you to settle your mind and body and fall asleep.
Try meditation:
Aside from myofascial release therapy, meditation, and deep breathing are the most popular techniques to manage pain and increase relaxation. Why?
Because muscles and connective tissues that are taut and under stress tend to relax with meditation. You can try various meditation modes, one example would be using the power of repetition.
In this meditation, you repeat a mantra (or any word or phrase) while focusing on your breathing. This process allows your brain to move away from hyper-focusing on the stresses and strains of daily life, which leads to relaxation.
DIY meditation videos and audio tracks are available online – via YouTube, Headspace, Healthy Minds, or the Calm App. You could also consider joining a local class tutored by an expert.
Our favorite meditation is more along the lines of a body scan, feeling deeply into your own awareness, tuning into your body and exploring the patterns you move and live with.
Another method for deep relaxation is to focus on your breathing. Find a peaceful spot without any disturbances.
While maintaining a comfortable resting position, focus on the spot below your navel and begin to breathe into your abdomen and gradually breathe out again.
Think about inflating and deflating a balloon. Try breathing in for four seconds, holding for seven, and exhaling for eight. Repeat for as long as feels good.
Join a support group:
Being part of a group of people in a similar situation experiencing ongoing pain can help psychologically and make you feel less alone.
We know persistent pain can cause depression, and social support and connection can be great medicine.
Regular group therapy can also help you feel better mentally and reduce the negative emotions that can sometimes increase chronic pain.
Avoid smoking:
If you smoke, try to reduce the frequency, or preferably give it up, as smoking causes issues with blood circulation and many other systems in the body, which can all intensify chronic pain.
Exercise (a.k.a. Movement Exploration):
Although it may seem contradictory, movement can be an effective pain reliever. Sadly, many people with ongoing pain believe they should avoid exercise and movement. And maybe you should.
However, depending upon the levels of chronic pain you experience and the activity you choose, movement practices can help if they are not too intense.
Performing exercises to help strengthen muscles can prevent injuries and assist in pain relief. In addition, exercise keeps your blood pressure in check, lowers blood sugar, and reduces excess weight. It also helps release “endorphins," the chemicals inside the body known to improve mood and help reduce pain.
So, starting a movement practice can be one of the best pain management methods. You will want to pay close attention to the signals your body gives you, and as aways, discussing your condition with your physician before beginning any new activity is best.
Maintain a daily journal:
Make it a habit to track your activities and pain levels. You can then share the information with us, if you like, when you see us for your sessions so we can discuss the efficacy of the treatment and make alterations accordingly.
In addition, it can help you develop a better understanding of the factors that increase or decrease your pain levels.
Reduce alcohol consumption:
Contrary to a popular misconception drinking alcohol does not improve sleep but increases sleep issues. It leads to disturbed and poor-quality sleep, which can increase chronic pain.
Alcohol can also contribute to inflammation levels in the body. The best option is to reduce your intake or stop it altogether, which could lead to a better sleep cycle and less pain.
Eat a healthy diet:
We know our food choices impact our overall health, so a healthy diet can contribute to a pain-free life.
Eating a well-balanced diet also helps to keep weight in control, as obesity can lead to various health issues that can become the cause of chronic pain.
Incorporate lots of antioxidant-rich fruit and green vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains, and cut down on or avoid processed foods.
How Myofascial Release Therapy Reduces Ongoing Pain
Pain is an unpleasant sensation that can affect different parts of your body, such as your muscle, joints, and connective tissue (fascia). We also know it can interfere with your daily activities, affecting your mood and overall well-being.
Fortunately, there are various techniques we can use to alleviate pain, one of which (arguably the most effective non-invasive treatment) is myofascial release therapy.
But what are the benefits of myofascial release, and how does it help you find relief from chronic pain?
Myofascial release is a technique that involves applying gentle, sustained pressure on the myofascial connective tissues: your "fascia".
These myofascial tissues are the fibrous connective tissues that surround and support your body's muscles, bones, organs, and everything else.
When these sensitive tissues become tense - due to chronic stress, accident, or injury - they cause pain and discomfort. But the good news is that myofascial release can alleviate this tension and ultimately fix the pain.
One of the stand-out benefits of myofascial release therapy is that it is non-invasive and non-surgical.
Unlike pain medication and surgical procedures that have adverse side effects and potentially severe consequences, myofascial release therapy uses natural techniques that work your body to allow it to heal naturally.
So, it’s one of the best ways to avoid going under the surgeon’s knife, even if you’ve been in pain for many years. In addition, it's a safe and effective way to alleviate ongoing pain, especially if you prefer natural remedies.
Myofascial release therapy is an effective way to treat:
But Why Is It So Effective?
The answer to this question is easy; myofascial release therapy addresses the root cause, providing long-lasting pain relief that other pain management techniques consistently fail to deliver.
It can also future-proof your body and prevent injuries by improving overall physical function and mobility.
We also make the treatment fully customized to you and your unique set of needs. Your sense of how you want us to help is essential.
For example, depending on your pain levels and the discomfort you're experiencing, we apply varying levels of pressure (which is never painful) during the treatment to help you achieve optimal results.
During the sessions, we also guide you to make lifestyle changes and teach you a range of pain-reducing myofascial self treatment and movement practices that you can incorporate into your daily routine to maintain the health of your fascia.
So, whether you’re dealing with ongoing pain or an acute injury, myofascial release therapy can help you feel better and improve your quality of life.
If you would like to try it for yourself, you can schedule an appointment with us to discuss your options. So, what are you waiting for?
Let’s start talking about how we can create a customized treatment plan for you to achieve your goals.