Chronic Pain & Fatigue

3 Tips to Help You Manage Your Symptoms at Home

Do you struggle with chronic pain? Has exhaustion zapped your mojo? Have you wondered, “Can chronic pain cause fatigue?” Absolutely!

Chronic pain and fatigue are common bedfellows. While either condition may be difficult, the combination can feel overwhelming. Yet, there are evidence-based ways to cope — from simple lifestyle changes to innovative, new therapies you can do at home.

But first, let’s take a look at why pain and fatigue coexist.

Why Do Chronic Pain and Fatigue Coexist?

When you hurt yourself — even when you are simply at risk of injury — your body seeks to:

Defend
Protect
Heal

The main system in control of these changes is called the sympathetic system; also referred to as the “fight or flight” or stress response.

In health, energy is required to maintain vitality and to fend off threats (real or perceived). In the face of stress, this excess of energy can tax the body.

Think of this as the heightened fuel consumption that occurs when you push the accelerator pedal to the floor. Once the threat has passed, the figurative pedal should be released. This allows the body to revert to its baseline.

However, when the threat doesn’t pass — when pain continues — the human “vehicle” can run low on fuel. As the tank empties, the engine begins to splutter. This can spiral into fatigue. Chronic pain is linked to depression, anxiety, and fatigue — and even cause a domino effect into depression and anxiety.

Sleep disturbance is a regular feature among people who experience chronic pain because it can:

Increase levels of stress and pain
Be a result of the pain itself

This then becomes a vicious cycle. But you can learn to reverse the cycle with a few simple techniques.

Ready to take control of your pain? Register today to talk to a patient coordinator

3 Simple Ways to Manage Chronic Pain and Fatigue at Home

Living with chronic pain and fatigue can take its toll on the mind and body. Yet, with the right approaches, you can get your quality of life back.

We’ve listed a few things you can do at home to help you get started.

1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle

You can maintain a healthier body by:

Getting 7-8 hours of sleep nightly
Stretching and exercising regularly
Following an anti-inflammatory diet
Limiting stress

2. Take chare of your mental health

Pain and mental health are intrinsically linked, thanks to shared neurotransmitters. Fortunately, mental health therapy techniques can make a profound difference. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness practices are the most well-known methods.

And now they are being implemented into modern technologies like smartphone apps and virtual reality so they can be utilized at home.

3. Seek professional support health

Living with ongoing soreness and exhaustion isn’t easy. But you don’t have to go-it alone. Having a chronic pain expert on your team can change your life.

XRHealth has been successfully treating clients with chronic pain and fatigue for years. Evidence-based pain management and mental health approaches combined with telehealth and virtual reality technology have become game-changers for thousands of people experiencing chronic pain.