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Managing Chronic Pain (Realistically!)
Plus: 12 ways to naturally boost dopamine levels
The 10almonds Team
July 01, 2023
Today’s almonds have been activated by:
Loading Screen Tip: if you believe you can, you’re halfway there
⏰ IN A RUSH?
Today’s 30-Second Summary
If you don’t have time to read the whole email today, here are some key takeaways:
Chronic pain is not at all fun and is very wearying.
Unsolicited advice about your condition can also be very wearying
We are a health and productivity newsletter though and we’ve had a number of requests to do a main feature on chronic pain management, so here it is!
Since all chronic pain is different, we’ve focused on pain management strategies rather than trying to write for many different conditions in the same article
We hope something will give you some respite!
Dopamine is a wonderful thing to have enough of, and not all of us do.
Today’s video talks about 12 things we can do to naturally increase dopamine levels!
These things range from magnesium to meditation, cuddles to cold showers, l-tyrosine to to do-lists. Check out the video section for more!
We’re all about good nutrition here at 10almonds, and that philosophy need not stop at two-legged members of your household!
If you've ever wished you could extend the same nutritional care to four-legged household members, today’s sponsor Nom Nom are offering 50% off real, high-quality fresh meat+veg crafted for dogs by veterinary nutritionists.
Seriously, we can’t overstate the quality; check out their website and you’ll see what we mean! (Sorry-not-sorry, this writer is just excited about it)
Read on to learn about these things and more…
👀 WATCH AND LEARN
12 ways to boost dopamine naturally
Sometimes called the reward chemical or motivation molecule, dopamine is a feel-good neurotransmitter that affects mood, focus, energy, and behavior.
It impacts feelings, motivation, memory, attention, and even movement. When dopamine levels get depleted, things tend to go downhill for our physical and mental health. So, here are 12 ways to give it a natural boost:
We’ll not keep them a secret; they are:
more magnesium
less sugar
move more
l-tyrosine
gut health
enjoy music
interpersonal touch
cold showers
practice hobbies
meditate
check off to-do lists
get better sleep
...but we recommend watching the video to understand more about why each of them works—especially as some may initially seem counterintuitive!
😣 MAIN FEATURE
Realistic chronic pain management
We’ve had a number of requests to do a main feature on managing chronic pain, so here it is!
A quick (but important) note before we begin:
Obviously, not all chronic pain is created equal. Furthermore, we know that you, dear reader with chronic pain, have been managing yours for however long you have, learning as you go. You also doubtlessly know your individual condition inside out.
We also know that people with chronic health conditions in general are constantly beset by well-meaning unsolicited advice from friends and family, asking if you’ve heard about [thing you heard about 20 years ago] that will surely change your life and cure you overnight.
It’s frustrating, and we’re going to try to avoid doing that here, while still offering the advice that was asked for. We ask you, therefore, to kindly overlook whatever you already knew, and if you already knew it all, well, we salute you and will not be surprised if that’s the case for at least some readers. Chronic pain’s a… Well, it’s a chronic pain.
All that said, let’s dive in…
How are you treating your body right now?
Are you hydrated; have you eaten; are you standing/sitting/lying in a position that at least should be comfortable for you in principle?
The first two things affect pain perception; the latter can throw a spanner in the works if something’s not quite right.
Move your body (gently!)
You know your abilities, so think about the range of motion that you have, especially in the parts of your body that hurt (if that’s “everywhere”, then, our sympathies, and we hope you find the same advice applies). Think about your specific muscles and joints as applicable, and what the range of motion is “supposed” to be for each. Exercise your range of motion as best you can (gently!) to the point of its limit(s) and/or pain.
If you take it past that limit, there is a good chance you will make it worse. You don’t want that.
If you don’t take it to the limit, there is a good chance your range of movement will deteriorate, and your “safe zone” (i.e., body positions that are relatively free from pain) will diminish. You definitely don’t want that, either.
Again, moderation is key. Yes, annoying as the suggestion may be, such things as yoga etc can help, if done carefully and gently. You know your limits; work with those, get rest between, and do what you can.
For most people this will at least help keep the pain from getting worse.
Hot & Cold
Both of these things could ease your pain… Or make it worse. There is an element of “try it and see”, but here’s a good general guide:
Meditation… Or Distraction
Meditating really does help a lot of people. In the case of pain, it can be counterintuitively helpful to focus for a while on the sensation of the pain… But in a calm, detached fashion. Without judgement.
“Yes, I am experiencing pain. Yes, it feels like I’m being stabbed with hot knives. Yes, this is tortuous; wow, I feel miserable. This truly sucks.”
…it doesn’t sound like a good experience, does it? And it’s not, but paying it attention this way can paradoxically help ease things. Pain is, after all, a messenger. And in the case of chronic pain, it’s in some ways a broken messenger, but what a messenger most needs is to be heard.
The above approach a) is good b) may have a limit in how long you can sustain it at a time, though. So…
The opposite is a can be a good (again, short-term) approach too. Call a friend, watch your favorite movie, play a video game if that’s your thing. It won’t cure anything, but it can give you a little respite.
Massage
Unless you already know this makes your pain worse, this is a good thing to try. It doesn’t have to be a fancy spa; if the nature of your pain and condition permits, you can do self-massage. If you have a partner or close friend who can commit to helping, it can be very worth them learning to give a good massage. There are often local courses available, and failing that, there is also YouTube.
Here’s an example of a good video for myofascial release massage, which can ease a lot of common kinds of chronic pain:
Some quick final things to remember:
If you find something helps, then it helps, do that.
That goes for mobility aids and other disability aids too, even if it was designed for a different disability. If it helps, it helps. You’re not stealing anyone’s thunder (or resources) by using something that makes your life easier. We’re not in this life to suffer!
There is no such thing as “this pain is not too much”. The correct amount of pain is zero. Maybe your body won’t let you reach zero, but more than that is “too much” already.
You don’t have to be suffering off the scale to deserve relief from pain
❤️ OUR SPONSORS MAKE THIS PUBLICATION POSSIBLE
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Yes, really, when you go to their website they’ll ask you about your pet(s), down to such details as age, weight, and activity level.
And yes, they also cater to allergies and sensitivities.
*PS, you can also check out their menus and ingredients, and you’ll see what we mean!
Please do visit our sponsors—they help keep 10almonds free
🌍 AROUND THE WEB
What’s happening in the health world…
More to come tomorrow!
📖 ONE-MINUTE BOOK REVIEW
The China Study: Revised and Expanded Edition: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-Term Health - by Dr. T Colin Campbell and Dr. Thomas M. Campbell
This is not the newest book we've reviewed (originally published 2005; this revised and expanded edition 2016), but it is a seminal one.
You've probably heard it referenced, and maybe you've wondered what the fuss is about. Now you can know!
The titular study itself was huge. We tend to think "oh there was one study" and look to discount it, but it literally looked at the population of China. That's a large study.
And because China is relatively ethnically homogenous, especially per region, it was easier to isolate what dietary factors made what differences to health. Of course, that did also create a limitation: follow-up studies would be needed to see if the results were the same for non-Chinese people. But even for the rest of us (this reviewer is not Chinese), it already pointed science in the right direction. And sure enough, smaller follow-up studies elsewhere found the same.
But enough about the research; what about the book? This is a book review, not a research review, after all.
The book itself is easy for a lay reader to understand. It explains how the study was conducted (no small feat), and how the data was examined. It also discusses the results, and the conclusions drawn from those results.
In light of all this, it also offers simple actionable advices, on how to eat to avoid disease in general, and cancer in particular. In especially that latter case, one take-home conclusion was: get more of your protein from plants for a big reduction in cancer risk, for example.
Bottom line: this book is an incredible blend of "comprehensive" and "readable" that we don't often find in the same book! It contains not just a lot of science, but also an insight into how the science works, on a research level. And, of course, its results and conclusions have strong implications for all our lives.
What did you think of today's newsletter?We always love to hear from you, whether you leave us a comment or even just a click in the poll if you're speeding by! |
Wishing you a healthy and restorative weekend, and a wonderful month ahead,
The 10almonds Team