Pain Sucks

Pain Sucks, Part 6 of 7: Practice Mindfulness
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Pain Sucks, Part 6 of 7: Practice Mindfulness

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…

Pain Sucks, Part 5 of 7: Laugh Out Loud
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Pain Sucks, Part 5 of 7: Laugh Out Loud

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…

Pain Sucks, Part 3 of 7: The Anti-Inflammatory Diet
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Pain Sucks, Part 3 of 7: The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

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…

Pain Sucks, Part 1 of 7: Pain Management in 6 Steps
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Pain Sucks, Part 1 of 7: Pain Management in 6 Steps

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…