Everyone experiences some form of physical pain at some point. For example, when you cut your finger, pain is your body's way of giving you a warning signal that something is wrong. Usually, once the trigger is gone, so is the pain.
But chronic pain is something completely different. It lasts for weeks, months, or even years.
Sometimes chronic pain can start for no apparent reason. But in most cases, it begins as a result of a severe injury from which the body has not been able to fully recover. Another reason may be a chronic illness that cannot be cured permanently.
Regardless of the source of chronic pain, one thing is certain – it can turn a person's life into a real nightmare: it disrupts sleep, limits the ability to work and perform daily activities, reduces socialization and significantly reduces the quality of life.
What is life like for a patient with chronic pain?
Painkillers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…
Thus, over time, medications lose their effectiveness or, even worse, cause even more harm.
In such cases, drug-free treatment is the only solution.
Believe it or not, among all the non-drug remedies, muscle relaxation exercises are the best.
The reaction to almost any pain is muscle spasms – both the transverse striated muscles, which we can largely regulate consciously because they make up the musculature of our body, and the smooth muscles that are contained in the structure of all internal organs, as well as blood and lymphatic vessels.
Muscle spasms increase pain. All methods that help to relax the muscles reduce any pain or can even eliminate some types of pain completely, making it available to the body's own pain relief systems. Some of the easiest relaxation techniques that can be done without the help of a therapist.
You just need to sit comfortably in a quiet room in a chair or bed and begin breathing slowly and deeply. Concentrate on your breathing and begin to work different muscle groups one at a time. Start with your arms. Clench your fists as hard as you can and hold that position for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, relax your hands and arms. Feel the tension leave your fingertips. Now shift your attention to your forearms and shoulders. Tense their muscles with all your strength for 10 seconds, then relax. Then go over your toes, calves, thighs, buttocks, stomach, back, chest, neck, face and forehead. Feel the tension leave your body and the heat rush in.
It is quite possible to perform these exercises without prior muscle tension if it is difficult for some reason.
For greater effect, muscle relaxation exercises should be accompanied by breathing relaxation techniques.
After performing muscle relaxation in the way described above, close your eyes and start imagining that the air you exhale passes through the pain. After a few attempts you will easily begin to "exhale" through the pain – it will seem to dissolve in space.
You can use this method as an emergency aid for any unpleasant sensations of the soul and body: sit comfortably, with your eyes closed, focus your inner attention on the area of unpleasant sensations and start "exhaling" through them.
In the same context, it is worth mentioning the practice ofTai Chi, which consists of continuous, uninterrupted movements during which one must concentrate fully on them, is very effective in reducing chronic pain and relaxing muscles. Studies have qualified Tai Chi as a technique that helps reduce chronic back and joint pain in patients over the age of 60 and helps them return to an active lifestyle. Tai Chi has been scientifically proven to be a more effective method of holistic pain management than walking and jogging. In addition, when treating pain associated with osteoarthritis, Tai Chi is the most recommended practice.
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