It is important to know about the connection between stress levels and your pain symptoms, as well as understanding that stress management can also decrease your suffering. Physically, chronic pain raises your stress levels and drains physical energy, while psychologically it affects your ability to think clearly, logically and rationally, as well as to effectively manage your feelings or emotions. Remember that in most cases if you can learn to lower your stress levels, you will also experience a decrease in your perception of pain.
 
When you are more aware of your stress levels, you can then take action to reduce your stress, which in turn leads to a decrease in your pain symptoms. One effective stress management strategy is exercise. In addition to lowering your stress levels, regular exercise can also be an important part of your pain management program. It is also important to reduce, or even eliminate, nicotine, caffeine, and sugar, and to implement a healthy eating plan. Other stress management tools could include focused breathing and relaxation exercises, meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, soothing music, being in nature, soaking in a hot bath (or Jacuzzi), etc.
 
In the past I trained in the martial arts for many years and learned several tools that helped me in all areas of my life but especially in my own chronic pain management. The other day I was researching stress management and came across a website www.about.com and found an article by Elizabeth Scott, MS who is an expert in stress management. This particular article was titled How to Reduce Stress Quickly with Karate Breathing Meditation. Below I’ve included some information from that article. If you want to read the entire article please click here.

1. Sit in a comfortable position. While most martial artists use the ‘seiza’ (“say zah”) position, with legs beneath the buttocks with knees directly in front, many people find this position to be uncomfortable. If this is the case, you may also sit cross-legged (’anza’) or in another position that’s more comfortable for you.
2. Close your eyes, but keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, head up, your eyes (behind your lids) focused ahead.
3. Take a deep, cleansing breath, expanding your belly and keeping your shoulders relaxed, and hold it in for the count of six. Exhale, and repeat twice more. Then breathe normally, and focus your attention on your breathing. As you breathe, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, still expanding your belly rather than moving your shoulders up and down.
4. If your thoughts drift toward the stresses of the day ahead or of the day behind you, gently refocus on your breathing and remain in the present moment. Feel the air move in, and feel the air move out. That’s it.
5. Continue this for as little or as long as you like, and you should notice that your body is more relaxed and your mind is more centered. Enjoy the rest of your day!

To learn more about chronic pain management please check out our website at www.addiction-free.com and go to our Publications page and check out my book Managing Pain and Coexisting Disorders: Using the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System.   If you want to learn more about stress and chronic pain you can find my article The Stress Pain Connection that you can download for free on our Ariticles page.

To check out our July Chronic Pain Solutions Newsletter please click here.

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