5 Mental Tricks and 5 Mantras for Chronic Pain

There are many different ailments that can result in pain, such as infections, arthritis, and joint and nerve problems, among many others. Living with chronic pain that causes suffering year-round can feel like a living nightmare. Things can feel almost hopeless, but your suffering can be mitigated and managed using a steady combination of medications, as prescribed and advised by your doctor, as well as positive thinking and self-affirmation. To this end, we’ve gathered 10 mental tricks you can perform to keep your pain at bay, as well as 5 mantras you can recite to keep your strength and spirits up!

1. Visualization

 Visualization is a method that focuses on the use of the power and strength of your mind to create scenarios that can reduce your pain. One method of visualization requires you to picture your pain in a physical form, e.g. as a giant red throbbing mass. Focusing on the physical form of your pain, you can shrink it or reduce it to a smaller pink mass in your imagination, which should help with the actual pain you're experiencing

Another use of visualization aims at relaxing and soothing your mind. Picture yourself in a relaxing place, like on a beach with a drink in your hand, or in a warm Jacuzzi with all your joints being warmed and massaged by the water, and experience the pain slowly melting away as you relax. 

2. Meditation

Meditation is a great way to manage not only stress and discomfort but also pain. A study conducted in 2011 looked into the effect of mindfulness meditation on pain management. This study conclusively showed that mindfulness meditation can have extremely positive effects on pain management. The combination of meditation and application of heat probes to affected areas reduced pain intensity by approximately 60%, and pain unpleasantness by approximately 70%. 

To learn more about meditation and find helpful tutorials on meditation, follow this link: Helpful Guides on Meditation and Relaxation - for this kindly see my following post.

3. Writing

Believe it or not, writing is a great way of channeling any strong emotion. American Social Psychologist, James W. Pennebaker, recommends writing for at least 15 minutes a day before sleeping when struggling with chronic pain and stress. You can write about everything - from what your current struggle is, to things that are worrying you and frustrations you’re dealing with, to dreams of the future, places you want to visit, and other thoughts that give you joy.      

4. Controlled Breathing

If meditation is not the thing for you, have no fear. Controlled breathing can help immensely. Diaphragmatic breathing can be helpful, as it requires deep breathing from the stomach rather than the more shallow breathing from the chest. Dr. Janice M. Singles, Psy.D. of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, a distinguished psychologist in orthopedics and rehabilitation, states that this sort of breathing from the belly can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which allows for a more quiet response to pain. 

5. Laughing

Laughter truly can be the best medicine, and there have been a few studies to prove it. A study conducted by researchers at UCLA determined that kids and adolescents who had their hands immersed in ice water were able to tolerate the pain longer while watching humorous video clips. 

A similar study carried out in 2010 showed that humor therapy can be an excellent way of reducing pain and loneliness for elder persons, recommending humor as supportive therapy to nurses and healthcare professionals. At times of intensified pain, ensure to add a dash of comedy to your life! 

6. Apples all around

Surprisingly, apples can be effective at pain relief. A study by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago showed that sniffing test tubes with the green apple scent improved the condition and reduced the pain of patients suffering from migraine attacks.

A controlled study in 2016 further showed that the use of apple vinegar could have numerous positive effects in reducing pain and anxiety, particularly in patients suffering from varicose veins. Even eating green apples can help keep the pain at bay. An apple a day really can help keep the doctor away! 

7. Turn up the Volume
Most people suffering from joint and nerve issues, like rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis will know that doctors often prescribe more exercise as a means of treating joint pain, but it can be difficult to carry out such activities with the persisting pain. 

Music can serve as a great way to keep your mind off the pain while exercising. A 2013 study determined that music can help control pain levels and act as an effective therapeutic intervention. A 2012 study on the effects of music for people with osteoarthritis of the knee suffering from joint lavage similarly showed lower levels of anxiety and pain after the use of music intervention. Music is an effective tool for distracting patients from the pain, which aids in pain relief.

8. Look through a photo album (or the pictures on your phone)

Believe it or not, but rummaging through your phone or old family photo albums and surrounding yourself with pictures of familiar faces and loved ones can be immensely good for the brain and the body. Especially in times of heightened pain, looking at the face of a loved one or a reminder of treasured memories can result in the release of chemicals in the brain that can reduce the sensations of pain one may be suffering from. 

Much like music, it also serves to act as a distraction from the pain as well, making it easier to reduce pain levels. 

9. Enjoy some lovely artwork
Staring at masterpieces may not be something you’d ordinarily do in your free time, but looking at beautiful works of art and being surrounded by the color and majesty of these pieces can go a long way in easing your pain. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Bari found that looking at beautiful art actually helped reduce the pain levels of a number of hospital patients. 

Art created by famous creators like Picasso, Botticelli, and even Da Vinci were selected and viewed by the 24 participants of the study. It was found that by focusing on these paintings and what these works of art made them feel and think significantly reduced the intensity of the pain they were experiencing. 

10. Recite these 5 pain-relieving mantras

One of the best things you can do for your body, particularly when suffering from an ailment of which chronic pain is a major symptom, is to keep thinking positively. That can be extremely difficult when daily tasks seem like an impossibility and basic movements cause you immense pain. 

However, reminding yourself of your own true strength and remembering that you can get through anything will keep you steady and dull the pain on the worst of days. Here are some mantras you can recite to yourself on days when the pain is especially unbearable. 

(i) I am strong, no matter what
We often feel like the pain makes us weaker, particularly because it impairs our ability to function in our day to day lives. It’s important to remember that your strength lies in not what you can’t do but what you can. And every day that you are bearing through the pain is another show of your strength and courage. 

(ii) One step at a time
This mantra is for those days where a task or event is bearing down on you, and the pain is making it seem like an impossibility to complete. Even things like exercise and physiotherapy can seem like a daunting event, but taking it slowly and appreciating every step of your progress along the way can help immensely. 

(iii) I will get better
A big part of pain management is reminding yourself that your current suffering isn’t going to last forever. Even if you are struggling with a chronic ailment, the intensity of the pain will ebb and flow, and once you find a system that works for you, you will have more good days than bad ones. 

(iv) I am not alone. I am safe and loved
These are 2 very important things to keep as a constant reminder. You are not alone in your suffering, and as many before you have recovered and survived the same struggle you bear with now, so shall you. And as you make your way through your journey, place value in all those that support you and give you a safe space to heal. 

(v) This too shall come to pass
This is perhaps one of these most powerful mantras that can help you cope not only with chronic pain but almost any difficult situation. The knowledge that nothing is truly permanent can go a long way in helping you cope with your pain. Focusing on the good to come in the future can make these periods of pain and suffering pass quicker.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for food, medicines, exercises and so on.   

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15 Simple Ways to Improve Brain Performance

The human brain is a 3 kg computer - it is the command and control center that runs our lives and is involved in everything we do, so there is no shadow of a doubt that it is very important to protect and upkeep. Our brain determines the way we think, feel, act, and how well we get along with other people, our brain also determines what kind of person we are - are we considerate or polite, or otherwise rude? Optimizing your brain function is necessary for maximizing your abilities, whether at work, leisure or in relationships with the people closest to you. Therefore, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the following tips to improve your brain's performance.
brain
1. Exercise for your brain cells
Many studies have shown that when people engage in physical activity, the level of brain function improves. Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., Found adult mice on the wheel had twice as many new hippocampus cells as mice who did not want to use the wheel. Researchers are unsure why the rodent's brain responded to physical activity in this way, but they hypothesized that exercise reduced stress and caused the rest of the body's functions, including those in the brain, to work more efficiently.

2. Train your mind
Just like exercising, activating different parts of the brain also trains them. Professor Lawrence Katz, a neurobiologist at Duke University, argues that finding simple ways to activate different parts of the brain that are not normally used is beneficial in keeping neurons and dendrites, which are short extensions protruding from nerve cells that are their input devices. Just as a new weight-building exercise builds muscles we rarely use, so a new worldview or recreational activity can improve the function of parts that are less used in the brain. Try new flavors and smells, do things with your weaker hand, take a different route to work, or travel to new places. In short, try to do new things that will take you out of your comfort zone, and your brain will enjoy and grow stronger.

3. Ask 'Why?'
Our minds are very curious, but as we grow older, many of us ignore or deny our natural curiosity. Let yourself be curious and wonder why things happen the way they do and ask someone who knows. The best way to exercise our curiosity is to ask "Why?" At least 10 times a day. Your brain will be more active and you will be amazed at the number of opportunities and solutions that will appear in your life and at work.

4. Laugh
Scientists say laughter is good for health because it releases endorphins and other positive chemicals to our systems. While we don’t really need scientists to tell us that laughter makes us feel good ... laughter is just like the quick claim of energy to our brain. 

5. Eat fish
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in walnuts, flax seeds, and fatty fish, have long been known to be beneficial to heart activity. A recent study found that omega-3 fatty acids are also very healthy for the brain, not only because they improve the functioning of the circulatory system that supplies oxygen to the brain. It turns out that these beneficial compounds can also improve the functioning of the membranes that surround brain cells and thus improve overall functioning.

6. Remember
Take an old photo album or even your high school yearbook and give it a few minutes of in-depth examination. Our brain is a memory machine, so give it a chance to work a bit and spend some time with your memories. Browse the photos and try to remember the names of the people, the experiences you shared with them, and the feelings you felt toward them. After a while, you’ll discover that the process of recalling memories happens much faster even when you look at an old album or at all when you try to recall something you were sure you had already forgotten.

7. Reduce your intake of bad fat
Can "bad" fats adversely affect our brain function? When researchers at the University of Toronto provided rats with a 40% fat diet, their mental functioning decreased, including memory, spatial orientation, and learning ability. The problems worsened with a diet rich in saturated fat, found mainly in dairy products and meat. It is hypothesized that fat may reduce blood flow to the brain, which damages the supply of oxygen and glucose to the nerves. This does not mean that you should stop consuming fats, you just need to know what type of fats to consume, and how much. Monounsaturated fat, which is mainly plant-based, is very healthy for the body and linked to health and longevity, you can get it from fish, olive oil, nuts, avocados, and seeds.

8. Work the brain
Some of us like puzzles, some the daily crossword, and some of us prefer riddles - the kind does not matter. The main thing is to solve difficult and challenging things. Solving problems in your free time is a great way to activate your brain and keep it in excellent condition.

9. Listen to music
A decade ago, Frances Rauscher, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin in the United States, and her colleagues published an amazing discovery and found that listening to Mozart improved mathematical and spatial thinking of the listeners, and even rats ran better and more accurately through a maze after hearing Mozart. It seems that listening to Mozart stimulates activity in three genes involved in transmitting signals in the brain. And it isn’t just Mozart, music, in general, is good for our health. Listen to the music you love when you can, it's much more important than you thought until now!

10. Improve your skills in the things you already know how to do
Repeating routine actions that your mind is used to doing doesn’t strain your mind. At the same time, there is no reason why you shouldn’t upgrade or change how you do things to create new connections between nerves in your brain and improve your abilities. 

11. Reduce your alcohol intake
Some say that alcohol kills brain cells, but the reality is a bit more complicated. A study of 3,500 Japanese men found that men who drank moderately (in this case, one drink per day) had better cognitive function than those who did not drink at all. Predictably, the worst performance was observed among those who drank more. The results of another study that examined the association between alcohol and brain function revealed that rats receiving a large amount of alcohol had fewer new cells in the hippocampus immediately after drinking and even a month later. This indicated that the alcohol not only damaged the rat's brain but also prevented it from correcting itself at a later stage. Therefore, it is definitely worth reducing your alcohol consumption and consuming it in moderate amounts.

12. Play
Find time to play, and even make time to play. Play cards, video games, board games or any game you love - the main thing is to play. It is good for the general feeling and good for the brain because it is an action that encourages thinking strategically and puts us in the face of problems we wouldn’t normally encounter in our daily lives.

13. Sleep on it
The recommended sleep time for an adult is 7-8 hours. Sleep is vital to our health and even to the proper functioning of the brain. During sleep, neurotransmitters in the brain reduce their activity, and their threshold is reset to normal and regular levels. In addition, during sleep, free radicals that accumulate in the brain during the day are cleaned by special enzymes, and nerve cells regroup.

14. Focus
Concentration can improve brain power. Learn to focus when distracted, and try to get rid of the disturbance. For example, if you need to make an important phone call, thinking about it can take your mind off the task at hand and make you not think clearly. Try to make the phone call as soon as possible so that you can concentrate again. Stop the flow of life from time to time to ask yourself "what's on my mind?" and identify the factors that interfere with your concentration and deal with them.

15. Learn a new word every day
There is a strong connection between vocabulary and intelligence. When we add new words to our vocabulary, our brain can think in new ways with more nuances between different ideas. This is a particularly powerful way to stimulate and improve our brain activity.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                       https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                     FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                   

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Exercises Which Will Strengthen The Pelvic Floor For Women

The topic of pelvic floor disorders isn’t a popular one at parties, as there is an overwhelming stigma surrounding them. Meanwhile, the official U.S. statistics report that 1 in 4 women suffers from a moderate to severe form of a pelvic floor disorder.

The reason for such high occurrence at severe stages is, in part, that the early symptoms are uncomfortable and difficult to admit even to a medical professional. All the more reasons to discuss this topic in depth and teach you how to manage this problem.

 

What Is the Pelvic Floor and Why Is It So Important For Our Health and Well-being?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles located inside of your pelvis. These muscles play one very important role: they prevent the organs from slipping out, as weird as it may sound. As the doctor describes it, “the pelvic floor muscles work like a hammock to support the pelvic organs, including the uterus, bladder and rectum”.

Like all muscles, the pelvic floor muscles can weaken as a result of trauma or aging, which explains the findings that it is predominantly women after childbirth and women post-menopause that suffer from weakened or overstretched pelvic muscles and all the uncomfortable symptoms that go with it.

Other causes of a weak pelvic floor include obesity, straining associated with chronic constipation and constant coughing. When the muscles are weakened, patients can experience the following symptoms:

• leaking urine when sneezing, coughing, laughing or running
• incontinence
• passing wind uncontrollably when lifting things or bending over
• painful sex
• diminished sensation in the vagina
• a sensation of heaviness in the vagina
• tampons that slip out.

Luckily, because the pelvic floor is a muscle, it, too, can be strengthened and returned to its initial happy and healthy form through regular exercise. All of the exercises that we will show you are easy, they can be done in the comfort of your own home and don’t require any special equipment (although we will give you optional uses of some sports equipment that you may have lying around at home).

1. Kegels

This is a great exercise because it is not only effective, but also can be easily done at work, in the car, or anywhere else, really. The movements you will do are so minimal no one will ever know you’re in the middle of exercising. You will benefit from this exercise if you experience leaking after sudden movements or if you have a strong urge to urinate right after urinating.

Here’s how to do this exercise:

Step 1. Identify your pelvic muscles. To do so, just stop urinating midway. The muscles you use to stop the stream are your pelvic floor muscles.

Step 2. Now that you know which muscles we’re talking about, simply contract them and hold for 5 seconds and then release for another 5 seconds. To see progress, repeat this exercise 10 times, 3 times a day.

Extra tip: If you feel like it’s difficult to keep the pelvic muscles activated, let your abdominals join in and suck in your belly as you’re contracting the pelvic floor (we illustrated this in the picture below).

2. Bird Dog

Can you tell from the name that this exercise was inspired by yoga? Well, as many yoga poses, this one is a full body strengthener, so if you found kegels too boring, you are sure to feel an effect after doing this one, especially in your glutes, abs, back and hips.

It will also challenge your sense of balance, so start slowly and be mindful. If you have sensitive knees, we recommend to do this exercise on a rug, yoga mat or a simple towel.

Step 1. Start from an all fours position. Make sure your wrists are aligned directly under shoulders and your knees are under hips. Keep your back straight and protect your lower back by activating your core muscles.

Step 2. Start the exercise by simultaneously straightening  and raising the right leg and left arm (ideally until they form a straight line with your spine, see the picture). Keep your head neutral and relaxed. You will feel wobbly at first and your body might even start shaking a little, that means you’re doing everything correctly. Hold this pose for 2 seconds and then lower the arm and the leg back to the initial position.

Step 3. Repeat the same process, this time with the other arm and leg. This is 1 repetition. Keep in mind that each side may feel different, that’s okay. If you find it difficult to maintain your balance, here’s a trick: rotate the foot that is raised slightly inwards.

Repeat this exercise 10 times and do 3 sets with a 30–60 second interval between the sets.

3. Squats

Squats are a very powerful exercise for engaging the entire lower body. It engages both small and large muscles, such as the gluteus muscles, the back muscles and the leg muscles, and. of course, the pelvic floor. Remember that alignment is key in this exercise because otherwise your can hurt your lower back.

Step 1. Stand with the feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Toes either look forwards or point out slightly. Engage your core and keep your spine straight as you slowly bend your knees and push your hips and bum down and back, as if you’re about to sit down on a chair. Make sure you don't carry all the weight on your knees and that your knees don't splay out.

Step 2. Squat until you can keep your shins perpendicular to the floor, no need to bend forward. Then rise up and straighten your legs, returning to the initial position.
Repeat 15 times.

4. Bridge

Though many people think that the bridge is mainly an exercise for the glutes, by doing it correctly you will also strengthen your pelvic floor and inner thighs. You don’t need any equipment for this, but for beginners it is beneficial to use some kind of object until you understand which muscles to activate. This can be a yoga block, a small book or even a balled-up pair of socks, we’ll explain how to use it later.
Step 1. Lie on the floor with your arms straight and palm facing down. Bend your knees in around a 90-degree angle, legs at shoulder width apart. If you want to use a block or any other object, keep your legs together, hugging the object that you’ve placed between your legs at around mid-thigh level.
Step 2. On an inhale, push your abdomen, hips and thighs up as much as you can or until your body forms a straight line. You will feel the glutes immediately, but the trick is to squeeze your thighs in as well. If you’re using an object, don’t let it fall by holding it with your thighs. Stay in this pose for 1–2 seconds, and then slowly return to the initial position.

Repeat 10–15 times and do 2–3 sets with a 30–60 second interval between the sets.

If you want to do an even more advanced version of this exercise, you can use a stability ball. Instead of keeping your feet on the ground in the starting position, place them on the ball and raise your hips just like we instructed above.

5. Split Tabletop

This exercise looks just like the starting position of an ab workout, which means that you will activate your core. The split element, in turn, will activate your thigh muscles and pelvic floor. If you suffer from back pain, we recommend doing this exercise on a mat or similar.
Step 1. Start laying down with your back on the floor and your knees bent so that your shins are parallel to the floor.

Activate your abdominal muscles and flush your inner thighs together. 
Step 2. Slowly and mindfully start splitting your legs outwards, so that each knee falls outward as much as you can.
Step 3. Return your knees to the initial position.
Repeat 10–15 times and do 3 sets with a 30–60 second interval between the sets.
This was the last exercise we had to offer in this article. Keep in mind that with any exercise it takes time to see any effects, so repeat these exercises for at least a month or two to see any results.
Disclaimer: If you think you might be suffering from a weak pelvic floor, please see your doctor. These exercises may not be sufficient for your condition.

 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                         FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           

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