Summary
- Keep a pain diary to see what foods, actions, or chemicals bother you.
- Avoid or minimize triggers like foods, actions, and chemicals.
- Recognize and try to reduce stress.
The key to living with chronic pain is management. Few people with chronic pain find treatments that take away all of their pain. Most find their pain is better some days than others, but it is always there. One of the best ways to manage pain is to identify triggers—things that make the pain worse.
The first step is to keep a pain record or pain diary. Keep track of your pain. Where does it hurt? How much does it hurt? How long does the pain last? Does anything seem to bring more pain? Does anything seem to reduce pain? These questions can help you find patterns.
Substances
People may find they are sensitive to certain substances. Eating, drinking, or being near these substances may increase their pain. Substances that may be triggers include:
- Food: Chocolate, caffeine, aged or cured meats and cheeses, salty or sugary foods, yogurt, foods containing gluten
- Food additives or substitutes: monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, food dyes, preservatives: nitrites, nitrates, and sulfites
- Drinks: caffeinated drinks, energy drinks, alcohol
- Medications: any medication can cause side effects; some pain medicines create “rebound pain” that gets worse when the medicine wears off
- Common chemicals: insecticides, fertilizers, household cleaners, formaldehyde
- Highly scented products: perfumes, colognes, soaps, deodorants, laundry detergent, dryer sheets or fabric softener, paint, gasoline
Actions
People may find certain actions increase their pain. Some of these things are avoidable. Others are not. Actions that may be triggers include:
- Eating habits: skipped meals, overeating, poor nutrition, big changes to diet
- Exercise: over exertion; pressure or strain on joints, muscles, ligaments, or bones
- Lack of exercise
- Sexual activity: exertion and/or climax
- Physical injuries: falling, muscle pulls, broken bones—these can worsen unrelated pain
- Sleeping problems
Environment
People may find their pain increases in certain environments. Some examples of environmental triggers are:
- Air and light quality
- Cramped or physically challenging spaces
- Uncomfortable furniture or workstations
- Excessive noise
- Weather, such as low barometric pressure, rain, cold, or heat
- Sun and UV ray exposure
The key to managing these triggers is avoiding them. If that is impossible, find ways to decrease exposure. For instance, it is almost impossible to function without sun or UV ray exposure. But sunscreen and sun protective clothing decrease exposure to sunlight. Small changes can have a big effect on pain management.
Stress
Medical professionals agree that stress causes and worsens pain. You may find it challenging to avoid all stress. It is part of life. But people with chronic pain do better when they manage stress. It is an important part of pain management.
Our society does not embrace free time. It is seen as wasteful. So people stay busy. They schedule activities for every moment. Rushing from one thing to the next means no time to rest. This is physically and emotionally stressful. This is especially true for people with chronic pain. Their bodies and minds need rest to heal.
Certain jobs and roles demand focus and activity for long periods of time. Some examples are: parenthood, taking care of older relatives, and jobs with many responsibilities. People often try to do all of these things at the same time. This lifestyle takes its toll on people with pain. Stress and constant physical demands make it hard to practice self-care. People ignore what their bodies tell them. “Pushing through” pain is not the same as pain management and may have the opposite effect.
Life changes can cause stress, too. Change can be both physically and emotionally hard. Both good and bad changes can increase stress and pain. It is impossible to list every type of life change. Common life changes include:
- Finding or losing a job
- Getting a promotion
- Moving
- Welcoming a child to your family
- The death of a loved one
- A child beginning school
- Becoming a caregiver to people who are young, aging, ill, or disabled
- Graduating from school
- Traveling
Changing or simplifying your daily routine can reduce stress. So can mindfulness, meditation, and yoga. Exercising is another known stress reducer. Behavioral health professionals can help you understand your stress and pain.
The bottom line is this: It is challenging to avoid all of your pain triggers. But understanding and managing them will keep you as active as possible.
Resources
American Chronic Pain Association
(800) 533-3231
The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
(800) 900-8086
Summary
- Keep a pain diary to see what foods, actions, or chemicals bother you.
- Avoid or minimize triggers like foods, actions, and chemicals.
- Recognize and try to reduce stress.
The key to living with chronic pain is management. Few people with chronic pain find treatments that take away all of their pain. Most find their pain is better some days than others, but it is always there. One of the best ways to manage pain is to identify triggers—things that make the pain worse.
The first step is to keep a pain record or pain diary. Keep track of your pain. Where does it hurt? How much does it hurt? How long does the pain last? Does anything seem to bring more pain? Does anything seem to reduce pain? These questions can help you find patterns.
Substances
People may find they are sensitive to certain substances. Eating, drinking, or being near these substances may increase their pain. Substances that may be triggers include:
- Food: Chocolate, caffeine, aged or cured meats and cheeses, salty or sugary foods, yogurt, foods containing gluten
- Food additives or substitutes: monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, food dyes, preservatives: nitrites, nitrates, and sulfites
- Drinks: caffeinated drinks, energy drinks, alcohol
- Medications: any medication can cause side effects; some pain medicines create “rebound pain” that gets worse when the medicine wears off
- Common chemicals: insecticides, fertilizers, household cleaners, formaldehyde
- Highly scented products: perfumes, colognes, soaps, deodorants, laundry detergent, dryer sheets or fabric softener, paint, gasoline
Actions
People may find certain actions increase their pain. Some of these things are avoidable. Others are not. Actions that may be triggers include:
- Eating habits: skipped meals, overeating, poor nutrition, big changes to diet
- Exercise: over exertion; pressure or strain on joints, muscles, ligaments, or bones
- Lack of exercise
- Sexual activity: exertion and/or climax
- Physical injuries: falling, muscle pulls, broken bones—these can worsen unrelated pain
- Sleeping problems
Environment
People may find their pain increases in certain environments. Some examples of environmental triggers are:
- Air and light quality
- Cramped or physically challenging spaces
- Uncomfortable furniture or workstations
- Excessive noise
- Weather, such as low barometric pressure, rain, cold, or heat
- Sun and UV ray exposure
The key to managing these triggers is avoiding them. If that is impossible, find ways to decrease exposure. For instance, it is almost impossible to function without sun or UV ray exposure. But sunscreen and sun protective clothing decrease exposure to sunlight. Small changes can have a big effect on pain management.
Stress
Medical professionals agree that stress causes and worsens pain. You may find it challenging to avoid all stress. It is part of life. But people with chronic pain do better when they manage stress. It is an important part of pain management.
Our society does not embrace free time. It is seen as wasteful. So people stay busy. They schedule activities for every moment. Rushing from one thing to the next means no time to rest. This is physically and emotionally stressful. This is especially true for people with chronic pain. Their bodies and minds need rest to heal.
Certain jobs and roles demand focus and activity for long periods of time. Some examples are: parenthood, taking care of older relatives, and jobs with many responsibilities. People often try to do all of these things at the same time. This lifestyle takes its toll on people with pain. Stress and constant physical demands make it hard to practice self-care. People ignore what their bodies tell them. “Pushing through” pain is not the same as pain management and may have the opposite effect.
Life changes can cause stress, too. Change can be both physically and emotionally hard. Both good and bad changes can increase stress and pain. It is impossible to list every type of life change. Common life changes include:
- Finding or losing a job
- Getting a promotion
- Moving
- Welcoming a child to your family
- The death of a loved one
- A child beginning school
- Becoming a caregiver to people who are young, aging, ill, or disabled
- Graduating from school
- Traveling
Changing or simplifying your daily routine can reduce stress. So can mindfulness, meditation, and yoga. Exercising is another known stress reducer. Behavioral health professionals can help you understand your stress and pain.
The bottom line is this: It is challenging to avoid all of your pain triggers. But understanding and managing them will keep you as active as possible.
Resources
American Chronic Pain Association
(800) 533-3231
The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
(800) 900-8086
Summary
- Keep a pain diary to see what foods, actions, or chemicals bother you.
- Avoid or minimize triggers like foods, actions, and chemicals.
- Recognize and try to reduce stress.
The key to living with chronic pain is management. Few people with chronic pain find treatments that take away all of their pain. Most find their pain is better some days than others, but it is always there. One of the best ways to manage pain is to identify triggers—things that make the pain worse.
The first step is to keep a pain record or pain diary. Keep track of your pain. Where does it hurt? How much does it hurt? How long does the pain last? Does anything seem to bring more pain? Does anything seem to reduce pain? These questions can help you find patterns.
Substances
People may find they are sensitive to certain substances. Eating, drinking, or being near these substances may increase their pain. Substances that may be triggers include:
- Food: Chocolate, caffeine, aged or cured meats and cheeses, salty or sugary foods, yogurt, foods containing gluten
- Food additives or substitutes: monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, food dyes, preservatives: nitrites, nitrates, and sulfites
- Drinks: caffeinated drinks, energy drinks, alcohol
- Medications: any medication can cause side effects; some pain medicines create “rebound pain” that gets worse when the medicine wears off
- Common chemicals: insecticides, fertilizers, household cleaners, formaldehyde
- Highly scented products: perfumes, colognes, soaps, deodorants, laundry detergent, dryer sheets or fabric softener, paint, gasoline
Actions
People may find certain actions increase their pain. Some of these things are avoidable. Others are not. Actions that may be triggers include:
- Eating habits: skipped meals, overeating, poor nutrition, big changes to diet
- Exercise: over exertion; pressure or strain on joints, muscles, ligaments, or bones
- Lack of exercise
- Sexual activity: exertion and/or climax
- Physical injuries: falling, muscle pulls, broken bones—these can worsen unrelated pain
- Sleeping problems
Environment
People may find their pain increases in certain environments. Some examples of environmental triggers are:
- Air and light quality
- Cramped or physically challenging spaces
- Uncomfortable furniture or workstations
- Excessive noise
- Weather, such as low barometric pressure, rain, cold, or heat
- Sun and UV ray exposure
The key to managing these triggers is avoiding them. If that is impossible, find ways to decrease exposure. For instance, it is almost impossible to function without sun or UV ray exposure. But sunscreen and sun protective clothing decrease exposure to sunlight. Small changes can have a big effect on pain management.
Stress
Medical professionals agree that stress causes and worsens pain. You may find it challenging to avoid all stress. It is part of life. But people with chronic pain do better when they manage stress. It is an important part of pain management.
Our society does not embrace free time. It is seen as wasteful. So people stay busy. They schedule activities for every moment. Rushing from one thing to the next means no time to rest. This is physically and emotionally stressful. This is especially true for people with chronic pain. Their bodies and minds need rest to heal.
Certain jobs and roles demand focus and activity for long periods of time. Some examples are: parenthood, taking care of older relatives, and jobs with many responsibilities. People often try to do all of these things at the same time. This lifestyle takes its toll on people with pain. Stress and constant physical demands make it hard to practice self-care. People ignore what their bodies tell them. “Pushing through” pain is not the same as pain management and may have the opposite effect.
Life changes can cause stress, too. Change can be both physically and emotionally hard. Both good and bad changes can increase stress and pain. It is impossible to list every type of life change. Common life changes include:
- Finding or losing a job
- Getting a promotion
- Moving
- Welcoming a child to your family
- The death of a loved one
- A child beginning school
- Becoming a caregiver to people who are young, aging, ill, or disabled
- Graduating from school
- Traveling
Changing or simplifying your daily routine can reduce stress. So can mindfulness, meditation, and yoga. Exercising is another known stress reducer. Behavioral health professionals can help you understand your stress and pain.
The bottom line is this: It is challenging to avoid all of your pain triggers. But understanding and managing them will keep you as active as possible.
Resources
American Chronic Pain Association
(800) 533-3231
The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
(800) 900-8086