Dealing with the Pain of Getting Older

June 19, 2008 by HART (1-800-HART)  
Filed under ... RETIRE

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Everyone deals with pain at some point or another. It could be the pain of childbirth or the pain you get when you get a cavity in a tooth. Breaking a leg, suffering from cancer, having a headache … all are forms of pain. And of course, pain also clouds many other areas of your life such as creating sleeping difficulties, fatigue, depression, irritability, work problems and loss of physical and social pleasure.

Talking with your doctor is the best way to learn how you can control the pain you are experiencing. Medications can work as well as meditation and other activities to help you gain the upper hand and control your pain.

There are a number of ways including medication as listed above that can help you. You just have to decide for yourself, along with the support of your doctor, what would work best for your lifestyle and level of pain. And speaking of pain level, knowing where you stand on a particular tolerance level can help your doctor come up with a pain management plan that would be best for you. For the most part, a doctor uses a scale from zero to ten. Zero means that there is no pain at all and ten is pain at its worst.

Prescribed Medication for Pain

There are all sorts of medications that are used to deal with pain. Some drugs are safe and effective when monitored and taken as prescribed. However, some people hesitate to accept pain medication for fear that they will become addicted. Yes, some pain medications can cause an addiction; however this usually occurs when you take it improperly such as crushing and snorting it or over-medicating yourself.

Other Forms of Pain Management

Sometimes, pain can bring a whole host of other problems such as anxiety, depression, nervousness and fear. These things can lower your threshold to pain. However, by adopting some activities such as exercise, you can reduce your stress levels and increase your tolerance to pain. Here are a few other examples that may help:

1. Join a support group. Knowing that other people are in the same boat means you are not alone.
2. Practice meditation and other relaxation techniques like deep breathing and yoga.
3. Counseling and even hypnosis can help you deal with the pain as well.
4. Massage, acupuncture and chiropractic care may be beneficial as well in dealing with pain.
5. Herbal remedies may help or at least calm the severity of your pain.
6. Imagery and aromatherapy are other alternatives which might distract you from pain.

Of course, when embarking on an alternative form of pain management, you should work with your doctor to ensure that it is safe for you. How long you have had the pain, when it started and where it hurts are all part of creating an effective pain management plan. The most important thing you can do is be proactive in your pain management efforts. Only when you take charge instead of being a passive participant can you find any true relief.