Ways to Deal with Pain Without Medication

With the opioid epidemic still firmly in place across the United States, the therapy professions have never been so needed in regard to pain. Physical therapy and psychotherapy all benefit patients experiencing pain, and occupational therapy marries the two perspectives and adds one of function. 

Come learn some non-pharmacological (non-medication) strategies for managing pain by watching this video. Mix and match the strategies for better outcomes and for best outcomes go to your occupational therapist for treatment. 

A couple of strategies I forgot to include are positional changes, greenery, energy conservation, and conversations with loved ones. 

• If you're uncomfortable, change positions to a more comfortable one... and when you find a comfortable position, stay there for a while. Rocking or bouncing on a yoga ball are movements that help as well. 
• Part of what spending time outdoors helps with is being around greenery, but if the outdoors aren't a great option for you at the moment... or if it's winter and there really isn't much for greenery, bring home some house plants. There's a reason people love to gift plants in the hospital.
• Often, when we're recovering from an illness, birth, or surgery; overdoing it can lead to increases in pain that are hard to manage. Make sure your taking breaks throughout the day and are realistic about what your body needs. If you notice aches and pains turning more ominous, cut back on your activity level. In this case, pain may be a good indicator that if you continue you could do damage or hold your recovery back.
• Conversations with loved ones is both a great way to distract yourself, as well as a way to connect during a potentially isolating period in your life. When we have good mental health, we tend to not catastrophize (make the pain worse through our brain-body connection) our pain.

Remember that these are just some ways to help manage pain. You should always get your pain checked out to make sure its cause isn't something more serious. With that being said, childbirth recovery is a pretty good reason to feel some pain as you recover. If it's more than a 5 or 6 on a pain scale within the first couple of weeks after giving birth, I suggest you get checked out by a healthcare provider. 

And finally, follow your physician's recommendations especially in regard to physical activity and exercise. 

Holm, S. E. (2017). Pain management. In H. Smith-Gabai & S. E. Holm (Eds.), Occupational therapy in acute care, (2nd ed., pp. 673-685). Bethesda, MD: American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.