Re: Coping Tips

[Guest guest]

Dix,

Thanks for the great coping tips. You¹ve covered some very important tips.

I especially like the gratitude one. We often loose sight of just how

blessed we are.

a

> The following are some things which help with the pain and/or the

> stiffness from athritis, fibro, and other similar illnesses. If you would

> like more information on any of them, just let me know. It's kinda long, so I

> underlined the main idea so that you can skim through and see what you'd like

> to read.

> Hope these help.

> a.. Learn and practice relaxation therapies. When the body is relaxed, your

> muscles and nerves will be more relaxed, so pain will be lessened as well as

> stiffness. The following are some different relaxation therapies with a brief

> description.

> b.. Self-Hypnosis. This is my personal favorite. It combines slow, even,

> deep breathing with techniques which take you to the most peaceful, relaxing

> place you can imagine, where there is no pain and no stiffness, or any other

> symptoms you want to alleviate. Once you learn it and practice it regularly,

> you will be able to give yourself post-hypnotic suggestions that will help

> keep the pain levels down for a while. It can also be used to help with sleep

> and lots of other things, from stopping smoking to weight loss.

> c.. Meditation. There are several types of meditation, ranging from

> clearing your mind of all thoughts, to using a mantra, to mindfulness

> meditation. This, like self-hypnosis, as well as all relaxation therapies, is

> based on slow, even, deep breathing. It's what you do after you achieve that,

> and what you do to achieve it that makes the difference between the different

> therapies.

> d.. Guided Imagery. After achieving the desired breathing, you use a tape

> or CD to take you on a journey. You might walk on a beach, swim with

> dolphins, float among clouds - whatever works for you.

> e.. Biofeedback. First, I would not recommend biofeedback for anyone with

> fibro or any other illness which involves the muscles. Biofeedback also

> begins with slow, even, deep breathing. Then you do a series of exercises

> contracting and releasing muscles. When finished, you will have relaxed all

> the muscles in your body. It also helps to increase the body temperature.

> f.. This and the following are not relaxation techniques, but other

> techniques which can help. Learn to modify your pain scale. First, if you

> don't have a pain scale, you should make one. Ten is the worst pain you can

> imagine or have experienced. There will be a day you'll wake up and think,

> today is a 14. Well, you can't have a 14 because your scale only goes to 10.

> So the 14 becomes your new 10. Your old 10 becomes a 9, and so on. This is a

> mind over body technique which has worked well for me. After several years of

> practicing this, what was probably a 10 three years ago is about a 6 now.

> g.. Soak in a tub. Put on a relaxing CD, use candles or aromatherpy if you

> like. For the best results, you should be in the tub for 20 minutes absolute

> minimum, with 45 minutes the recommended time. Obviously, you'll be adding

> more hot water from time to time. Get as much of your body in the water as

> possible. Don't read, or think about problems or what you have to do the rest

> of the day. This is YOUR time, your getaway. If a CD won't keep you relaxed

> for 45 minutes, it's OK to use books on audio tape. But don't watch TV. Too

> distracting. You should also try to practice slow, even, deep breathing.

> h.. Physical therapy. For some reason, a lot of doctors don't prescribe

> physical therapy, simply because that's not how they think. But if you ask

> about going to physical therapy, they'll be more than happy to write you a

> script for it. Before deciding where to go, first call and ask about their

> program. Pick out a few places that sound good, and go take a tour. There

> are incredible diffferences, and you want the one which fits your personal

> preferences the best.

> i.. Get regular massages. Research has shown that regular massage can help

> improve fibro and also pain tolerance. Again, call and talk with the

> therapist about the type of massage they do, and see if they will give you a

> 15 minute trial massage. Once again, there are major differences between

> therapists, and you want to one who will work best for you. There are also

> therapists who will come to your home.

> j.. Buy egg crate pillows to sit on. They help cushion the spine, which in

> turn keeps pressure of the spinal cord, which in turn can help relieve pain

> throughout the body. It also helps prevent stiffness from setting in as

> quickly as it would without using one. Make sure to use on in your car. It

> acts as extra shock absorption. I use 2 pillows to sit on in the car. In

> addition to the extra shock absorption, it makes me " taller " so the airbag

> won't hit me in the wrong place!

> k.. Make sure you are sleeping on the right kind of pillow. You may love

> super thick fluffy pillows, but they may not be the best for you. I have

> several kinds of pillows, and have learned which one is best for me depending

> on what's going on with my body. One is a tube shaped pillow which conforms

> to your neck that my physical therapist gave me for when I have a certain type

> of pain. I also have a memory foam pillow, which I use the most. And then I

> have another pillow which is very flat. I don't like it much, but it's the

> best to keep the spine straight.

> l.. Make sure you're sleeping on the right kind of mattress. We bought a

> new mattress recently, and in the store, it was great. It's one with a pillow

> top. Well, after sleeping on it for several months, I realized that I'd be

> better with a firmer mattress and no pillow top. Don't just try them out in

> the store; ask your doctor what type mattress would be best for you. Then ask

> your physical therapist the same thing. If they give the same answer, that's

> what you should be using. I know mattresses are very expensive, so this is

> something to save up for - it will pay for itself in the long run because you

> won't need as many meds if you get the right night's sleep.

> m.. Make sure you get a good night's sleep. It's best to try to go to bed

> at the same time every night. Don't eat for a couple hours before going to

> bed. If you eat a heavy dinner, try to eat it at least 4 hours before you'll

> be going to bed. Don't be afraid to ask for something to help you sleep.

> There are a lot of meds, such as Trazadone, which is a very mild

> anti-depressant and is also used to treat fibro. If you take it about 45 min.

> before bed, it will make you sleepy, and it will also help keep you from

> waking up a lot during the night. Because it's not a sleeping pill, you don't

> wake up drowsy. Ambien is a good medication to help you regulate your sleep.

> It was designed for use for two weeks. You take it at the exact same time

> each night, and it's supposed to give you 8 hours sleep with no morning

> drowsiness. But you should know that you have to be in bed when you take it,

> because it works very quickly, and if you stay up for a while, you won't be

> able to sleep at all.

> n.. Laugh. Think about what makes you laugh. Whatever it is, do it!

> laughter helps relax the muscles, and it also works as a natural

> anti-depressant.

> o.. Talk to your doctor about anti-depressants. They are being used more

> and more as pain relievers. That's because they work on serotonin, which is

> the " feel good " brain chemical. Narcotic painkillers are also central nervous

> system depressants, and there is a direct connection between depression and

> pain. There are some very new, very good anti-depressants which work well to

> help alleviate pain. You may still need painkillers, but maybe not as many.

> And, you'll find it easier to get through the day, and it's easier to laugh.

> p.. Learn gratitudes. There are lots of people a lot worse off than any of

> us. Most of us are in the top 8% of wealthy, education people in the world.

> We have a roof over our head, a bed to sleep in, running hot and cold water,

> heat and either airconditioning or fans, refrigerators with food in them, and

> know how to read and write. We have doctors and medicines available to us.

> Instead of complaining about your illness, be grateful for the things you have

> that 92 & of people in the world don't have. Be grateful that what you have

> isn't some of the horrible illnesses that you know are out there.

> q.. Cultivate your spiritual side. It doesn't make any difference what your

> spirituality is; what your beliefs are. Just work hard to be more spiritual.

> r.. Learn how to let go. This will help you greatly in dealing with stress.

> Check out coping.org on the web. They have some wonderful sites there and

> lots of other tips on how to cope with various illnesses and symptoms.

> That's about it for now . . . and probably more than you wanted!

> Love, life and laughter,

> Peace and prayers,

> Health, hugs, hope and happiness,

> Dix

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