‎6 ways you’re making your chronic pain worse

There are millions of people living with chronic pain and despite breakthroughs in the understanding of pain, few doctors are aware of the latest advances, or are trained in pain management.

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Eliminating your pain entirely may not be realistic. What is attainable: lowering your pain enough to improve your life and let you do the things you love. If you’re making any of the mistakes that follow, we’ve got a formula for lasting relief.

1. You’re trying to tough it out: One in four pain sufferers waits at least 6 months before seeing a doctor. Many wait a year or longer. Typical reasons: They down play the pain or think it’ll pass on its own. Also, many sufferers self-treat with OTC painkillers. (If you’re injured, you can still be active with these tips for exercising while you’re in pain.) Seek treatment sooner rather than later.

2. You’re afraid to exercise: It may be the last thing you feel like doing when you’re hurting, but study after study shows that exercise reduces all kinds of pain. It strengthens your muscles and lubricates your joints, making you less likely to get re-injured or suffer joint pain. It also releases natural pain-relieving endorphins, which can boost your mood, and it fights the inflammation associated with a number of painful conditions like gout and rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Your first instinct is surgery: Surgery may feel like the most efficient option, but for chronic pain, the research is mixed. Studies show that operating to relieve lower-back pain without any evidence of nerve pressure, for example, may offer minimal, if any, benefit, compared with a rehabilitation program.

4. You haven’t tried natural remedies: If you can’t take pain medicines because of side effects—or you’re just looking to enhance their effects—consider alternative treatments. Clinical studies show acupuncture, for example, relieves osteoarthritis pain, sciatica, and lower-back problems. Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers can benefit from the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplements.

5. You don’t discuss depression: About 54% of people with chronic back pain suffer from depression. But only one-third of them take antidepressants, according to a recent study. New brain-imaging research, however, clearly shows that our mental state is intricately tied to how we process and experience pain.

6. You don’t do your research: A little digging on your own behalf may open you up to new treatment options, help you ask more pointed questions, and improve your sense of control over your care. Antonia Kent, 39, injured her back when she was 21 and underwent three failed surgeries before deciding it was time to look into different options herself.

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