I thought I'd do a blog post about what things help relieve my chronic pain the most. If you're new to my blog then I have chronic back and pelvic pain which all kicked off in January 2018. I personally think that I have endometriosis but the many doctors I've seen just don't want to listen to my pretty obvious symptoms (some of which I've had for literally years too) and now every doctors appointment I go to they just bang on about weight instead of my daily chronic pain. Fun. So I've kind of given up on even going to doctors appointment anymore. I also had a bad reaction to Mefenamic Acid last year when I couldn't breathe properly, had a rash all over my body and it hurt my chest to breathe so since then I've not been able to take any NSAID's (such as ibuprofen) because they're all in the same medical family and I'm really wary of any new prescribed pills I get offered. So in this post I'm talking about what things and ways help me to get some relief from my pain.
The best health discovery for me last year was without a doubt CBD oil. I know I'm always banging on about it but it really does help with my pain most days. I tend to use a 500mg strength but I do have stronger versions for the really bad days. I still struggle day-to-day with my pain and I do find that the CBD helps my pelvic pain more than my back pain but I definitely feel like I can do a bit more than last year when I spent the whole summer in bed basically wishing I just was dead (and no that's not an exaggeration). I also feel like I'm in a better mindset most days because it does help with anxiety and stress levels too. I use both THC free and THC containing CBD oils/balms but they both are totally legal in the UK and they won't get you high like I know a lot of people worry about. My favourite places to buy from are from Bristol CBD, The.DrugStore and I've also been enjoying using the CBD Muscle Balm from BeYou. For when I'm out and about I find Naturopathica CBD Lozenges* are a lifesaver too and they taste nice!
I've found that the pill has been helping with my pelvic pain quite a lot. As I write this I've had 3 days with minimal pelvic pain (but my back has been flaring bad ugh). But I definitely feel like for me personally if I do have endometriosis then the mini pill in particular has been helping with my symptoms most of the time. I do still have flare ups but not as often and I'll go hours and/or days with minimal pain now. However if I get stressed out/upset or annoyed about something then it tends to bring on the pain. You can read more about my experience on the pill I'm currently on here.
I've recently realised that Epsom Salts are a lifesaver for my chronic back pain and it's nice to have 20 minutes of relief whilst I'm in the bath. I tend to stick to what I know and buy my epsom salts from Westlab but I recently decided to try their Mindful Bathing Salts and they are so good! The bag contains a mixture of Epsom and Himalayan Salts with Frankincense and Bergamot as well as added CBD oil. It smells gorgeous and I find it really calms my back pain too. They're usually on offer for less than a fiver on LookFantastic and there's various other options too.
Something else which I think helps my back pain is my Kinetik TENS Machine (from Argos). I did initially buy it for my pelvic pain when that first started but I think it actually aggravates the area and then I tend to be in more pain the next day. But I do find that the TENS machine is good for ovulation/period pains and also my chronic back pain. So I do recommend a TENS machine but if you're reading this and have undiagnosed pelvic pain then just be careful. It does have quite a lot of "settings" but I only use 3-4 of them as I find some of them are a bit uncomfortable. But it was definitely worth buying!
I spend most of my time with a hot water bottle either on my lower back or lower stomach, even in the summer months. I just find that heat really relieves pain and I find it quite comforting too when I'm having a bad flare up too.
Lastly is distractions... although this isn't an actual pain reliever I find that trying to distract my mind from my pain is helpful. I do this by watching TV shows, films or playing games - I'm currently going through a phase of being obsessed with the Sims haha. I also find that if I'm watching something which is more of a thriller/horror then it'll take my mind off my pain more. I know that sounds weird but it's something I've noticed and I think it's because I'm more on edge and invested into the show/film.
I relate to lots of these, I like watching my comfort shows when I'm in pain and drift in and out of sleep. On bad pain days I've been having some epsom baths too, not entirely sure if it's working but the heat is relaxing at least!
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