Health
5 Ways Exercise Can Help Reduce Chronic Pain and Its Symptoms
If you have chronic pain, you’re not alone. According to the CDC, approximately 50 million adults deal with chronic pain. Sometimes, all you want to do is lie in bed when you have chronic pain. However, while this can be tempting, it can worsen the problem.
Although doctors used to prescribe bed rest for chronic pain conditions, several studies have shown that people who work out are able to manage their pain much better than others.
Ways Exercises Can Help Manage Chronic Pain
- Reduces stiffness
Chronic pain can make you to lie down all day. However, staying in one position for several hours can cause your body to stiffen. This is a serious problem that comes with chronic pain conditions. Fortunately, being active regularly can help to reduce this stiffness and even make moving easier.
- It keeps your muscles strong and enables easy joint movement
Your body needs strong muscles that can support your body and bones better, especially if you’re dealing with chronic back pain. In such a case, your spine will need help to support your weight and cushion your movements. Therefore, you should exercise enough to keep your back and muscles in good condition.
Remember, joints are also mainly affected by pain, but exercising them can help reduce the pain. Doing regular strength training exercises will help to keep your muscles strong and prepare your body for day-to-day activities.
However, before you start your strength training workouts, you should seek the help of an online strength coach to help you develop a personalized exercise program.
- Exercise is good for mental health
As you exercise, chemicals known as endorphins are released into the body. Endorphins (the feel-good hormone) trigger feelings of well-being and positivity within your brain, making you feel good and improving your mood.
Most people who deal with chronic pain struggle with mental illness mainly because the level of the serotonin hormone is low. However, exercise can help to increase the levels of this hormone and improve your mood. In addition, exercise can be distracting, which is necessary for pain and anxiety. Therefore, as you focus on the workout activities, breathing, and body movements, you meditate more and get distracted from the pain.
- Boosts your immunity
Like most chronic conditions, chronic pain reduces immune response, making you more susceptible to infections and viruses. However, regular exercises can help boost the functioning of your immune system.
- It helps you maintain a healthy weight
Gaining more weight can add to your pain, especially if you’re dealing with chronic back pain. When you’re overweight, there’s more pressure being exerted on your joints and muscles, which means that they’re being overworked. This not only adds to your pain but can also worsen other health conditions.
According to the NCBI, obesity increases the risk of neuropathic pain and osteoarthritis, which most people think are not related to body weight. To help manage your chronic pain, ensure that you maintain the appropriate body weight by making healthy nutrition choices and exercising more.
Exercises that Are Suitable for Chronic Pain
Before you start exercising, ensure that you talk with a physical therapist who can help guide you to the best exercises for your condition. Here are a few exercises that your therapist may recommend that can help manage your pain:
- Walking
- Yoga
- Swimming
- Cycling
Bottom Line
While treatment and physical therapy are essential in reducing chronic pain, exercising your body on a daily basis can greatly increase your quality of life. Physical activities help release natural endorphins that improve the mood and ease the pain. What’s more, regular exercise can help improve your quality of sleep.
Health
9 Simple Steps to Dealing with a Broken Tooth
Credit: freepik via Freepik
It’s movie night, and you have an obligatory bowlful of popcorn balancing on your lap. You toss a handful of popcorn and — crack — you unknowingly bite down on a kernel with the full power of your jaw.
Lightning strikes your mouth as you realize this humble kernel broke your tooth.
Now what?
Besides pausing the movie and spitting out your mouthful of popcorn and tooth, you might not know your next steps.
What should you do, and how can you pay for it? Find the answers to these questions and more below:
1. Save the Pieces
If possible, save any broken pieces of the tooth. Your dentist might need these pieces.
2. Rinse Your Mouth
Gently rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area. Avoid using hot or cold water, as it might aggravate any exposed nerves.
3. Control Bleeding
If you bleed, apply gentle pressure to the area with a clean cloth or gauze. You can also use a cold compress on your jaw or cheek to reduce swelling.
4. Contact Your Dentist
Reach out to your dentist immediately. Explain the situation and try to schedule an emergency appointment. Many dentists reserve slots for urgent cases. If they don’t have a spot available, look at specialty emergency clinics in your area.
5. Get Over-the-Counter Pain Relief
Broken and chipped teeth can hurt, so take some over-the-counter pain relievers to help manage this pain until you can see your dentist.
6. Check Insurance Coverage
Review your dental insurance policy to understand coverage details. Some policies may cover emergency procedures, while others may have limitations.
7. Discuss Payment Options
If cost is a concern, discuss financing options with your dentist. Some dental offices offer flexible arrangements that give you a break. If you qualify for these plans, you might be able to push out your due date to coincide with your payday. You may even be able to break up your total outstanding amount over several payments.
8. Take out a Personal Loan
If you’re just shy of what you need to cover your emergency dental expense, consider going online to scope out personal loans. A personal loan may fill in for savings in urgent situations. You can quickly visit a website like MoneyKey to see what you need to apply. If approved, a personal loan gives you the means to pay for your visit upfront and pay off what you owe over time.
9. Consider Urgent Care Clinics
If your financial situation is such that you can’t afford a personal loan’s payments, reconsider your choice of dentist. Some dental practices apply a sliding scale to their services so that they can provide immediate care at a lower cost for at-risk individuals.
Next Steps: Thinking About the Future
So, you’ve managed to repair your tooth and pay the bill, too. What’s next? Make sure you hit these three goals soon. They can help you prevent another broken tooth in the future!
- Stay on Top of Dental Hygiene: Brush at least twice a day and floss once a day — these simple habits can protect your teeth over time.
- Schedule Regular Checkups: Keeping up with regular cleanings can also help you prevent future dental emergencies.
- Build an Emergency Fund: Sometimes, accidents happen. Consider building an emergency fund specifically for unexpected dental emergencies.
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