Do the thing we fear, and death of fear is certain. ralph Waldo emerson I have talked about the benefits of regular exercise, good nutrition, proper sleep, laughter, and mindfulness meditation for chronic pain management. In this final instalment of my Pain Sucks series, I share lessons that I have learned as someone who lives with…
Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional. Buddhist proverb As someone who suffers from chronic pain, I can’t say enough about the benefits of mindfulness meditation. Back in 2005, shortly after my workplace injury, I sought comfort and guidance in the Buddhist teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn, Pema Chodron and Jon Kabat-Zinn. I began my mindfulness practice with…
Laughter is an instant vacation. Milton Berle, Actor, Comedian I can’t imagine a day without laughter. Growing research shows that daily laughter is healthy for you in many ways. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter is definitely the best medicine. Here are the health benefits of a good chuckle: Laughter relieves pain. It stimulates your…
Sleep eludes you. You toss and turn in bed like a Christmas turkey in the oven, hoping for a few hours of shut-eye before that dreaded alarm clock sets off. You’re not alone. According to Statistics Canada, an estimated 3.3 million Canadians, age fifteen and older, have problems falling asleep or staying asleep. The data…
It has now become clear that inflammation plays a causal role in many chronic diseases including – heart disease, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. What is inflammation? There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic. Acute inflammation is the body’s short-term immune response to infection or injury. In this response, pro-inflammatory compounds recruit white blood cells…
There have been days when I didn’t feel like moving because of the pain, but I quickly learned that inactivity just makes things worse, namely increased stiffness which translates into increased pain. So I keep moving; Pilates, yoga, tai chi, qi gong, daily walks and more. A varied exercise routine not only keeps me from…
Pain sucks. I’m not talking about the type of pain associated with the occasional toe stub, shin knock or even accidentally whacking your thumb with a hammer (which I’ve done with inexplicable precision). Okay, the latter does hurt like hell. I’m talking about constant, nagging pain that has you in an unrelenting chokehold. Nearly one…