Simple Ways to Ease Pain & Stress

By: Debbie Marchese, PT, DPT, OCS, Cert. DN.

Does COVID-19 have you feeling a bit stressed? When we are stressed, our pain increases. There are so many new recommendations each day about what we need to do to stay safe that it’s reassuring to focus on the things that don’t change. Here are a few simple things you can do each day to ease pain and stress.

  1. Take time to go out on a spring morning and listen to the birds singing.
  2. Watch a sunrise or sunset with your loved ones and appreciate the beautiful colors.
  3. Apply a moist heating pad for 15-20 minutes to a sore joint or muscle to help you relax.
  4. Take a warm shower or bath to help decrease muscle tension.
  5. Do something you enjoy to relax and control pain. Maybe for you that’s listening to music, reading a book or taking a walk.
  6. Meditate and practice diaphragm breathing. When our pain intensity is elevated, we tend to hold our breath, which increases our pain level. Learning diaphragmatic breathing can help us relax. Take five minutes every day to practice diaphragm breathing.
Diaphragmatic-Breathing

Diaphragmatic Breathing
Find a relaxing, quiet area and sit or lie where you are most comfortable. Place your hands on your stomach. Breathe in deeply through your nose and feel your stomach rise. Hold your breath for a few seconds. Breathe out through your mouth. If you want you can close your eyes.

Be creative! Enjoy your quiet time, eat right and take care of yourself. Remember to wash your hands frequently and leave home only if it is essential. Let’s all be healthy at home, but not bored, and remember when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Happy spring!

Share This Post:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
RehaBlog

More Posts

What Is Dry Needling?

Dry needling is the use of a very thin filament (needle) to address areas of muscle tension and pain. The purpose is to relieve pain by increasing blood flow to the muscles and joints, helping nerves become less irritated, and encouraging the relaxation of muscles. Dry needling addresses musculoskeletal issues by targeting muscle trigger points to alleviate pain and muscle tightness, while acupuncture uses needles at specific points along energy pathways to address the body’s overall health and energy.

Smartphone Apps to Help Spinal Cord Injury Patients

In contemporary life, we as individuals and communities are constantly connected to each other. We crave social interaction, leisure activities, and access to each other as well as the world around us. Over the past decades, modern technologies such as smartphones have facilitated our desire to engage not only in communication with each other, but with our environment as well.

Managing and Preventing Incontinence with Physical Therapy

More than 25 million adult Americans suffer from incontinence. Men and women are often embarrassed to seek treatment for loss of bladder or bowel control. Urinary and fecal incontinence can cause low self-esteem, create social isolation, and impair quality of life. Incontinence is the lack of voluntary control over urination or defecation. There are two major types of incontinence and they are treated differently.

Backpack Safety

Backpacks are a convenient way for students to carry around their schoolbooks and supplies throughout the day, but using them incorrectly can lead to serious muscle and joint injuries. Carrying a heavy load can strain the shoulders, back, and neck. As a result, the body tries to compensate by leaning forward or sideways, which can lead to misalignment of the spine and weakening of muscles.

How to Keep Your Wheelchair Running Smoothly

Poor wheelchair maintenance can increase the risk of your wheelchair breaking down, which can lead to personal injury or even death, and increase the cost of your medical care. Additionally, wheelchair breakdown can limit your mobility and social participation. Here are tips to keep your wheelchair running smoothly.

Start your Journey

Learn more about Sheltering Arms Institute

Contact a specialist at Sheltering Arms Institute to learn more about how you can gain more freedom in your everyday life.