Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. All opinions are mine alone. #StopPainNow #CollectiveBias
Pain. Work. Management. These are all part of life’s little struggles and something that I deal with on a daily basis. It is so important to have strategies to manage pain especially when you are a busy at work.
As a kid I was active. Very active and athletic. I roller skated 3-5 times a week, I was a cheerleader with gymnastics added in there. My body took a beating and although my coaches focused on form and conditioning to avoid injuries, there is only so much they can control, especially when you are throwing girls in the air and catching them. In addition, to those early years, I started playing roller derby when I was 21 and at a highly competitive, hard-hitting and aggressive level. It was some of the best years of my life, but again I was beating my body up, no matter how well I made sure to stretch and condition.
When I retired from competitive roller derby the husband and I settled down to start a family. Little did I know, carrying two babies would do a number on my back and inflame the heck out of a bunch of old little injuries, creating a big pain in my life. BIG. So big that at one point I had to go to the doctors and be put on inflammatories, muscle relaxers and pain medications. I could hardly walk some days and even laying down to sleep caused excruciating pain. I was not able to function well enough to take quality care of my kids and I had to do something. I began a regime and after 3 weeks the meds worked and I was able to go off them. However, in an effort to avoid having to be on that much medication ever again, I decided to go for a more holistic approach to building up my strength and manage my pain.
So I started to make some small changes, particularly to my work life, and those made a big difference. I know that many people are in my same position and are looking to relieve that pain so I am sharing the 5 ways to manage your pain at work. I focused on work because I am often the most abusive on my body there. I can be sedentary or overly aggressive and even forgetful and those are so bad when you are someone with chronic pain.
1. Create a 5 minute stretching routine. For me my back and neck are my trouble spots. I created a quick routine that anyone can do from their chair at work. Check out those stretches below.
The stretch above really helps to open up my hips and lower back and is best accomplished in a chair with wheels so you can push your shoulders down to the ground and really feel the stretch in that lower hip/back area.
Another favorite of mine is to cross one leg over and then bend over and touch the ground.
To get that full mid-back stretch you can pull one knee up to your chest and hug it in for 30 seconds and then simply twist away from it as shown above to help release the muscle tension.
The stretch above helps stretch both your back shoulder muscles and mid back. Grasp one wrist and then sit down in your chair straight up, gently begin to sit forward and hold the stretch for 30 seconds and then return to sitting straight up. Repeat this 5 times and then switch wrists.
For my neck I like to cross one arm over my chest and then turn my head opposite of that. Then I switch. Finally I roll my neck out and that really helps.
I am also a big fan of stretching out those tense shoulder muscles that I use all the time from typing at work. Pulling one arm across and then behind gets those muscles nice and open, relieving pressure and pain.
I hold each of these stretches for 20-30 seconds and then I am done. It takes between 3 and 5 minutes to get my little stretching workout done and all from my chair at work.
2. Stay Hydrated. The best way to fight muscle fatigue is to flush the toxins out of your body and you do that by staying hydrated. I have a 1000 mL water bottle that I fill up 3-4 times a day at work and drink. This has honestly really helped to make my body feel less stiff. I notice that on days that I forget to drink as much water I am in much more pain that if I just stay on top of my water intake.
3. Use Curamin® Stop Pain Now. I just do not function well on prescription medications. They make me sleepy and very moody. I also know that there are some great pain relief options on the market that are not addictive and do not cause those negative side-effects. My choice is Curamin® dietary supplements. Curamin® is my choice because it is safe, effective, non-addictive and has been voted #1 for pain relief in the natural product industry.
I added this dietary supplement to my regular medication rotation and have been very happy with how my back and neck have been feeling since I began this 3 weeks ago. I truly am not feeling as stiff and I can move around quickly without having to give my body a second to adjust to my new positions.
The pills are a bit on the larger size, but I take my diabetes meds, antidepressant and vitamin D with it quickly once a day in the morning and it goes down easy with no side effects. My tummy is not bothered by it and it does not have a bad after taste. It is a great dietary supplement to add to my routine.
You can find Curamin® Extra Strength 60 count, at fine health food stores nation wide. I found mine at our local Natural Grocers. You can check out this store locator to find a store near you! When pain is the problem, Curamin® is the answer for you to Stop Pain Now!
4. Get Moving! I am a person that can get stuck in a rut of sitting for my entire plan period at my desk and not moving around. That is 2.5 hours a day of me not moving around and I definitely notice how I feel if I do not move in those hours. I slouch, I tense up when I am typing, and I adjust a million times to avoid the pain. I have found that if I stand up to type or if I work for 15 minutes and then move around for 10 and then sit and work and then move, that I feel much better and have more energy.
5. Snack Healthy. Teachers are terrible about this. We are always snacking, because we are always busy. You have to make an effort to snack healthy and fuel your body with food that is going to fuel your muscles and help you to become stronger. Select snacks that are high in protein and low in carbs. I am a big fan of pistachios, deli meats and veggies.
These five adjustments to my work routine have made a huge difference in how my body feels and have kept me off those prescription pain medications. I feel better and I am a better mother, wife and teacher when I am not in pain.
