Everyday pain management ideas

Today I am addressing the element of Behavior Modification that pertains to belief.  Simply stated, in order to change any behaviors that will help you to manage chronic pain--you need to believe in the rationale for changing that behavior and also believe in yourself. This is where creating small goals and coming up with a strategy really come in handy. By making changes by taking small steps you are more likely to succeed !

Strategic planning is an individual's process of determining how they are going to reach a predetermined goal, and making decisions based on the intended goal. In order to determine  future direction  it is necessary to understand one's current position and the possible ways through which  particular courses of action can be pursued. Generally, strategic planning deals with at least one of three key questions: What am I going to do? How am I going to do this? What is my definition of success?            When making plans to change a behavior on your road to better pain management, make sure you know what your goal is going to be.  Try to be realistic because if you set the bar too high it will be much more difficult to succeed. It is much better to accomplish your goal, whether it is to quit smoking or drinking, lose weight, or try a new form of therapy, through a series of small steps rather than one giant step. Change can be a very exciting thing, b

For many of us, some of the things that would have the most benefit in terms of pain management are indeed lofty goals.  Trying to quit smoking, lose weight, begin an exercise program...each one of these is a big change in and of itself.  It is possible to make these changes, but it's not going to happen overnight. So now, we come to the obvious question:  Where do I start?  And the answer is: At the beginning, of course.  But for any given person, the beginning is not the same thing. It is up to an individual,  and no one else, what the first step is going to be.  Perhaps you are not a smoker and you already exercise and have good control of weight....for you, maybe it's time to try the anti-inflammatory diet or try occupational therapy or biofeedback.  Maybe you are the person who really needs to cut back on cigarettes.  No matter what it is that needs to change, it is up to you and you alone what to change and what the priorities are. So, while it is still early

I have just discovered something wonderful to share with all of you: The Arthritis Kitchen Blog!  It is written by someone who has been dealing with RA since the age of 8, and believes, as I do, that healthy eating is an essential part of overall treatment.  Kitchen Salli, as she calls herself, also loves to cook and shares recipes and thoughts here. Have a visit when you have some time (the link is in the underlined name above). You will not be disappointed!

Do you agree? Note: Next week's posts will be about behavior modification, since much of the material I present is really a matter of behavior modification!

Occupational therapy is an interesting field.  The role of the occupational therapy is to live and function to the fullest degree possible.  It is the occupational therapist who helps disabled children, stroke victims, and even people with autism and other such disorders to improve functionality.  Chronic pain is yet another area where these therapists play a role. Occupational therapy is based upon the sciences of physical medicine, psychiatry, and behavioral psychology. For chronic pain patients objectives of occupational therapy are: to help the pain patient decipher which activities or behaviors intensify pain teach methods to help decrease the amount of time in pain teach techniques to decrease pain intensity help patients to improve function in daily activities and in the workplace show patients how to adapt to a lifestyle based on good health habits Source: About.com: Ways to Manage Your Arthritis Pain

Thinking back on last week's series on the Anti-Inflammatory diet, I realized that you now have lots of information on what to eat--but not much information on what NOT to eat. So here is a short list to help you along: As discussed in my post on fruits and vegetables ,some RA patients do not tolerate members of the nightshade family because these foods can provoke the inflammatory response. Alcohol intake in excess is known to provoke inflammation.  Regular consumption of alcohol can promote the inflammatory response from head to toe, especially the larynx, liver, and stomach. Beware of processed, packaged, or prepared foods --there is some likelihood that they contain harmful oils, sugar, and artificial sweeteners.  Sometimes we really don't know what we are eating! Avoid hydrogenated and trans fats . There are known healthy alternatives to these ingredients, but in many cases they are not used by grocery stores and bakeries. White sugar and sweets are