By Brian Syuki From Care2

Is chronic pain making you feel defeated? Is it causing you physical and emotional pain?

I sympathize with you. Dealing with pain for a few days makes me feel miserable, so I can only imagine what it is like to be plagued by pain every day.

You’re not the only one dealing with chronic pain. It’s estimated that 50 million Americans have chronic pain.

Sadly, most people with chronic pain make mistakes that worsen their pain. It’s likely you’re making some of these mistakes.

Below are 10 common mistakes people with chronic pain make.

1. AVOIDING ALL EXERCISE

Agonizing pain can make you want to avoid exercise altogether, but some exercises can ease your pain.

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Exercise eases pain in different ways. For one, strengthening muscles helps reduce pressure on the bones and joints. Exercise also promotes the release of feelgood hormones, which boost mood and ease pain.

Avoid exercises that cause extreme pain. Do non-weight bearing exercises that don’t put pressure on your joints instead.

2. IGNORING NATURAL REMEDIES

Medications won’t get rid of all of your pain. Using natural remedies, like massage, acupuncture and hypnosis, can help you cope better with chronic pain. Research shows that natural remedies, such as acupuncture are very effective.

3. NOT MANAGING STRESS

Did you know that stress can worsen your pain? Chronically high cortisol levels trigger inflammation, which adds pain.

It’s possible to manage stress without spending a dime. Make activities such as deep breathing, walking, meditation, and yoga part of your daily routine.

4. USING MEDICATIONS TO BLOCK ALL OF THE PAIN

The idea that chronic pain medications should eliminate all pain is a fallacy. Such thinking leads to dangerous decisions, such as overmedication.

Realize that medications ease about 50 percent of the pain. That’s why you need to combine medication with natural remedies. Even then, you may not eliminate your pain completely.

5. LIVING AS IF YOU DON‘T HAVE CHRONIC PAIN

Don’t expect everything to be the way it was before the pain. You may have to give up some of your favorite activities, especially those that put undue stress on your body.

6. SMOKING AND DRINKING

Research shows that smoking worsens chronic pain.  The chemicals you inhale from cigarettes overwork your lungs, preventing them from delivering enough oxygen to the blood.

It’s also important to limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol may numb your pain for a while, but it’ll end up doing more harm than good.

7. MAINTAINING A POOR DIET

You’re not doing yourself any justice if you’re taking medications while ignoring your diet. A diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods can help you cope with chronic pain.

An inflammatory diet, on the other hand, can increase inflammation and worsen your pain, so add these anti-inflammatory herbs to your diet.

8. OPTING FOR SURGERY TOO SOON

You may think that surgery is a permanent solution to chronic pain, but you need to give it a lot of thought. Consult different doctors and explore different treatment options.

Research shows that lower back surgery may not be helpful if there’s no evidence of nerve pressure. Treat your pain with medications and natural remedies before opting for surgery.

It’ll be easier for you to deal with chronic pain if you avoid these mistakes. You also need to keep educating yourself about how to cope with and manage chronic pain. Lastly, maintain a positive attitude, it can help you deal with the pain well.

For more on this story go to: https://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-dangerous-mistakes-people-with-chronic-pain-make.html