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Chronic pain—if left unchecked—has a profound impact on your health and wellness. For example, it can restrict mobility, cause stress and reduce your overall quality of life. If you have recurring neck, back or shoulder pain, try these tips from iSpine Pain Physicians, a chronic pain management center with multiple locations across the Twin Cities.   

5 Tips for Living With Chronic Pain

1. Reduce Stress

Depression, anxiety and other negative feelings increase the body’s sensitivity to pain. Therefore, stress reduction is essential for chronic pain management. Find an activity that relaxes you such as meditating, listening to music, or painting. Then, give yourself at least 30 minutes a day to enjoy this activity and free your mind.

2. Rest Up

Likewise, lack of sleep lowers your pain tolerance. However, getting restorative sleep when you have chronic pain isn’t always easy. Meditation, aromatherapy and heat treatments can temporarily relieve your symptoms and help you fall asleep faster. If you continue to have sleep disturbances, seek medical attention.   

3. Stay Active

chronic pain managementExercising when you have chronic neck, back or shoulder pain may seem counterintuitive but, in reality, it can alleviate your symptoms. Walking, for example, is a low-impact activity that strengthens essential muscles and nourishes spinal structures, thus bringing chronic pain relief. Similarly, yoga increases flexibility and protects you from further injury. But don’t overdo it, iSpine’s back pain specialists warn, and consult a physician first to ensure you exercise safely.   

4. Eat Right

High-fructose corn syrup, artificial trans fats and refined carbohydrates are known to increase bodily inflammation. So, if you have chronic pain, these ingredients can exacerbate your symptoms. The iSpine team recommends avoiding these ingredients, when possible, and eating a well-rounded diet. Also, try incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods like deeply colored fruits and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale and cabbage into your meal plan.  

5. Seek Support

Living with chronic pain can take both a physical and emotional toll. Hence, you need a strong support system of friends and family whom you can lean on when times are tough. Also, find a trusted chronic pain management specialist who can offer advice as well as develop a treatment plan that suits your unique needs.

With locations in Chaska, Crystal, Delano and Maple Grove, MN, iSpine Pain Physicians uses non-invasive procedures and a personalized approach to help you manage your symptoms and live your best life. Call them at (763) 201-8191 today to schedule an appointment with one of their back pain specialists. For more on their comprehensive services, visit the chronic pain management center online.  

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