LOUISIANA PAIN

Vol. 27 LOUISIANA PAIN QUARTERLY 13
For this article, I’ve developed a Top 10
List of great psychological strategies that
work to improve the quality of life for those
individuals living with chronic pain. Obviously,
this list is not meant to be a summary of all of
the possible strategies for managing chronic
pain and I would love to hear from you about
things that I have not included but are part of
your toolbox. The list is also not in any specific
order, but as a psychologist I’m obviously
biased towards number 10.
1LEAN ON YOUR DOC. Your relationship
with your physician and the rest of your pain
management team can make a dramatic
difference in living well with chronic pain. If you
are unsure about something, ask for more information
or where to find good information online. Your pain
management team is your ally in living well, so make sure
to tell them about major changes in your life that affect
your pain management or your current treatments.
It is important for you to understand the medicines
you’re taking, what they can do for you, and their
potential side effects. Then educate yourself about
additive or alternative treatment options. Your goal
should be to have a normal mood and activity level - if
you don’t, then a different medicine might be better for
you. Be proactive, to ask questions, and look for answers.
A great strategy is to write down questions you want to
research and discuss with your pain management team.
Keeping a pain journal can be a great way to
help your pain management team understand and more
effectively treat your chronic pain. At the end of each day,
record an average daily pain rating between 1 and 10,
where 10 indicates the worst pain possible. Then note
what you did that day, and how these activities made you
feel. The next time you see the doctor, bring the journal
and discuss your findings.
Lean on your doc. Ask questions and look for answers.
2
HYDRATE. According to the Mayo
Clinic, dehydration may aggravate the
symptoms of some chronic conditions, like
headaches and back pain. Although it may be
tempting to load up on coffee, soda, or juice, their diuretic
effect makes them poor sources for hydration. Water
keeps you hydrated without the extra calories, sodium, or
caffeine. The recommendation that adults need to drink
an 8-ounce glass of water 8 times per day may not be
accurate for all people and simply drinking when thirsty
may be a better goal. It should be noted that summer
increases our need for water due to the extreme heat, so
8 glasses a day is still a smart goal when it is hot. Also,
you should try to maintain the 8 glass habit when you
are having increased perspiration, high body temperature
(or fever), nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea, which magnify
your fluid needs.
3EAT CLEAN. If you’re living with chronic
pain, you want to do everything you can to help
your body, not hinder it. One way to keep your
body strong is to eat a well-balanced diet and
reduce your consumption of highly processed food (e.g.
fast food, frozen dinners, hot dogs, snack foods, etc).
Eating right improves blood sugar, helps maintain weight,
reduces heart disease risk, and aids digestion. Aim for