Coping with severe pain is often difficult and stressful. Sometimes pain comes on suddenly and unexpectedly, and arises because of a pre-existing condition or disease. However, there are ways to help you cope with severe and excruciating pain. Stay focused on controlling your pain and find the technique that works best for you.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Managing Sudden Pain
Step 1. Stay calm
Experiencing pain is stressful, especially if the cause of the pain is unknown. Feeling anxious, panicked, and scared can actually make the pain worse. Short, rapid breathing can trigger hyperventilation, impair the ability to draw oxygen to the blood, and cause ongoing pain, such as chest and muscle pain.
Try not to focus on the pain. Focusing your thoughts and energy on your pain can make it worse. Try to relax and focus on something else. For example, think about the next steps you should take to find the cause of the pain
Step 2. Control your breathing
Breathe in slowly and deeply from your stomach or diaphragm, instead of breathing quickly and short from your chest. This helps increase the circulation of oxygen in the blood and reduces the intensity of pain.
Controlled breathing techniques have been shown to be effective in managing severe pain. Breathing techniques have been used for years to help control pain during childbirth
Step 3. Get into a comfortable position and try to relax
The pain may subside if you sit up straight and straight or may lie down. Find a position that can reduce pain so you can focus on finding the cause of the pain.
Step 4. Identify the source of the pain
Pain that comes on suddenly, known as acute pain, is usually a warning sign. Pain tells you to pay attention. Some common causes of acute pain include broken bones, sprains or sprains, deeper cuts and cuts or tears, muscle cramps, sunburn, or broken teeth.
Acute pain belongs to the category of nociceptive pain. Pain from stepping on a nail or touching a hot pot is classified as nociceptive pain
Step 5. Don't ignore the excruciating, sudden pain
In some cases, the sudden onset of severe pain may be the only sign you can get that something is wrong. For example, sudden abdominal pain may indicate a ruptured appendix, peritonitis, or a ruptured ovarian cyst. Ignoring the sudden onset of pain can have serious, and sometimes even life-threatening consequences if the need for immediate medical care is ignored.
Step 6. Take action to control the problem
Once you've identified the cause of your pain, take action to address the problem if possible. Acute pain can improve and recover forever once the cause is treated.
- Acting to address the cause of the pain may include seeking medical treatment. For serious injuries or persistent pain that has no known cause, your doctor can help identify the problem and provide treatment options.
- Situations involving acute pain can last for minutes or even months. Untreated acute pain can become protracted or turn into chronic pain.
Part 2 of 3: Managing Chronic Pain
Step 1. Control the pain
Managing pain requires a commitment to learning new techniques and practicing the ones you've already learned.
Step 2. Meditate
Meditation is a powerful and proven way of dealing with pain. Learning to meditate requires instruction and a positive attitude to stay committed. Research shows that pain intensity can be reduced from between 11% to 70%, and pain-related discomfort can be reduced from 20% to 93%.
Step 3. Think about food
Research shows that focusing on your favorite foods can help reduce pain. Focusing on chocolate is most people's favorite way.
Step 4. Divert your attention
Chronic pain wants your attention. Focusing on other things like watching movies, enjoying activities with friends and family, reading, or starting a new hobby keeps your thoughts focused on other things. Just focusing on other parts of the body also distracts attention from being focused on pain.
Step 5. Visualize the pain improving
Try to imagine what the pain would be like. You can imagine an arthritic joint, a pinched nerve in the neck, or a broken bone in the leg. Then imagine or visualize the area healing, or shrinking, or healing.
One part of visualization is allowing yourself to escape mentally. Fly in your mind to a place of calm and peace, or to a past experience that you enjoyed
Step 6. Stay positive
Chronic pain is difficult to manage because it is always felt and can eat away at a positive attitude. Allowing your thoughts to become negative, focusing on the pain, and increasing frustration can make the pain worse. Try to stay positive and avoid imagining the worst.
Consider consulting a counselor or therapist if you are sinking into a negative state or feeling depressed because of chronic pain
Step 7. Relieve pain with over-the-counter products
Moderate pain relievers are available without a prescription. Products like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin, and even some topical patches can help.
Use freely available products with caution. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose and read the label for potential side effects from its use. Then, if you have over-the-counter pain relievers, your doctor may not give you over-the-counter supplements because they increase your risk of complications. Consult with your doctor before adding over-the-counter medications to prescription pain relievers
Step 8. Research your condition
A better understanding of your condition can help you choose the most suitable technique for your needs.
Chronic pain sometimes includes nerve changes or injury that make it difficult to treat. Knowing your condition better can help you choose a technique that makes you feel better and avoids further injury
Part 3 of 3: Knowing When to Seek Medical Treatment
Step 1. Go to the doctor if the pain suddenly changes or gets worse
Treatment may be available to cope with changes in your condition. Pain treatment should always be directed at identifying and treating the cause of the pain before seeking symptom relief.
If you have not consulted a doctor regarding pain and the pain persists, you should immediately treat it medically
Step 2. Take prescription pain medication
Prescription pain medications are more potent than over-the-counter medications, and are available as oral and topical products. These products often contain controlled substances that can cause addiction, such as opiates. Several opiate-free drugs are available, such as anti-inflammatory agents and tramadol.
- Older antidepressant agents, such as trisilicate, anticonvulsant drugs, and muscle relaxants are commonly prescribed to treat chronic pain conditions. These agents work in different ways to control pain signals sent to and from the brain, and to calm the muscle tissue around the pain area.
- A prescription patch is also available. Some are applied directly over the painful area. It usually contains an active ingredient such as lidocaine. Some are applied to areas of the body where the drugs can be absorbed into the bloodstream, such as patches containing fentanyl.
Step 3. Consider medical procedures
In addition to over-the-counter pain relievers, many procedures are available that are designed to treat conditions that involve pain. Physical therapy, nerve blocking, local anesthesia, acupuncture, electrical stimulation, or even surgery may relieve pain.
- Chronic pain symptoms are sometimes controlled using nerve-blocking injections that are administered on an outpatient basis. Tell your doctor if you are allergic to the contrast agent commonly used during the procedure.
- Depending on the injection site, common side effects include temporary numbness and pain at the injection site. Some procedures can cause drooping eyelids, congested nose, and difficulty swallowing.
Step 4. Ask your doctor for the TENS unit
For some chronic pain, stimulating the nerves in the area of pain can help reduce pain symptoms. The TENS unit, or transcutaneous nerve electrical simulator unit, uses small pads that are placed near the area of pain. This tool is controlled manually by the patient.
Step 5. Be aware of the warning signs specific to your condition
Severe pain can affect people of all ages, involves almost any part of the body, and includes hundreds of ailments. Call the doctor. Follow your doctor's advice if symptoms get worse.
Tips
- Swear. This may sound crazy, but some research shows that swearing triggers an emotional response that takes the focus off the pain.
- Consider an exercise program that is safe for your condition, such as yoga or qigong.
- Stop any technique or exercise that makes the pain worse.
- Always consult a doctor for a new medication.
