How do you manage chronic pain? The first step is to understand what is happening in your body. Knowing what is going on can make you feel less afraid and less pain. This makes sense because your brain protects you from what it thinks is dangerous. Once your brain understands you are not in danger the pain experience decreases.
But what if pain persists? In chronic pain, the nervous system is changed and becomes overexcited by things that usually cause pain and things that do not usually cause pain. There are many ways to make your nervous system less excited. Some require help from medical professionals and some do not.
If you have been living with pain for a long time, it will take time to turn down your alarm’s sensitivity. Be patient. Your pain can improve little by little over time.
