I was diagnosed with Lupus 17 years ago. And since that time (and even in the years leading up to my diagnosis), I have dealt with chronic pain. At times the pain was bad enough to keep me in bed for days on end. I have tried so many treatments, natural remedies, and more and yet for years, nothing I did helped! I've been on heavy doses of steroids and multiple rounds of chemo. I've tried every prescription pain killer under the sun…sometimes taking 2 or 3 different ones in order to alleviate some of the pain.
In the last 2 years, I've made some discoveries that have made a huge difference in my health. Keep in mind, I'm not a doctor. This is just what has worked for me, but I've also seen many other people find relief with these methods.
If you have chronic pain, here are 5 things that have drastically reduced my pain. Each method was great on it's own, but when combined with all the others, it's made a world of difference.
1. Change your diet
Over the years, I've read tons of literature on pain relief and chronic pain. I remember reading that eliminating nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and potatoes) from your diet, can cause a major reduction in pain and inflammation. I'll be honest, I thought that was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard. How could vegetables that are good for you cause so much pain. At an extremely desperate point in my life, my husband bought me the book Pain Free in 6 Weeks. I agreed to read it and give it a try! The book insisted I cut out all nightshade vegetables. I told my husband I would give it 8 weeks (just to prove that I'm fair minded). I can't even tell you how much I improved over those 8 weeks. And now, if I eat something with nightshades, I can feel the difference in my body within 45 minutes. It's drastic!!!
The other dietary change that can be extremely helpful is cutting out gluten. While this may seem like a fad, it has made a noticeable difference in my pain levels. It hasn't been quite as drastic as the nightshades, but still quite noticeable.
2. Get enough sleep
I'll be honest. This is something I struggle with. I have a husband, 4 kids, a full-time job, multiple blogs, and I have lots of hobbies. I also wake up at 5am at least 3 mornings a week to got the gym. Sometimes sleep is the last thing I want to do when the house is quiet. I want to spend time talking with my hubby, tackle projects, get some writing in, and get a jump on tomorrow's work. I didn't realize how bad my sleep habits were until I got a Fitbit Flex. When I started looking at my sleep patterns, I was shocked. I have been making a conscious effort to get to bed on time so that I can get a full night of sleep. On the weeks that I consistently get 8+ hours of good sleep, I feel remarkably better!
3. Exercise
When you're in a lot of pain, exercising is often the last thing you want to do. Believe me, I get it. There are days when getting out of bed wasn't even an option, so exercising definitely was a no-go. If it is at all possible, try to do some form of exercise daily. I have found that T-Tapp has been one of the best form of exercises for me. It's low impact and my back pain goes away when I T-Tapp consistently!
I also really like using an exercise bike. The pedaling motion is great for keeping my joints loose. I have this exercise bike desk and it is a much better alternative than sitting at my desk all day!
4. Plexus
Over the last 15 years, I have had a zillion people recommend various supplements to me. In the early days, I tried them all because I was willing to try anything that would help with pain. Over time though, I got pretty cynical. I did mental eye rolls when people told me about the latest, greatest thing that I just had to try.
In the beginning of 2014, I heard about Plexus. People were raving about the results they were having. Their thyroid issues were disappearing, their blood sugar levels were becoming stable, and their pain was disappearing. I did my mental eye roll and moved on.
Then I had a major lupus flare. I was in agony and NOTHING was helping! I was alternating between 2 narcotic painkillers and couldn't go more than 4 hours without taking one. I could barely move and walked like an old lady. I began to seriously consider a stem cell transplant, but that would have involved some serious side effects and I would have literally been out of commission for 6 months or more…not an easy feat when you have a husband, 4 kids, and a full time job. In a moment of desperation, I decided I would try one more thing…Plexus. I said I would give it 3 months and then if nothing had changed, I would pursue the stem cell transplant. I'm thrilled to be able to say that Plexus has literally changed my life. Their Fast Relief products are a total game changer. I started using the Fast Relief cream and the Fast Relief pills and within 10 days, I was completely off my prescription pain killers. I also added the Plexus Slim, BioCleanse and ProBio 5 to my daily regiment. In the 6 months since I've been using Plexus products, I haven't taken any prescription pain killers (with the exception of the first 10 days I was on the product) and I've only taken non-prescription pain killers twice! The products have made such a difference in my life that I became a Plexus Ambassador so I can help other people!
5. Spend time in a Far Infrared Sauna
I remember reading about infrared saunas a few years ago when I was looking at pain relief. I found a local gym that had an infrared sauna and joined for that reason only. Unfortunately the gym only allowed me to go 3 times a week for 30 minutes. I also had to brave the wind and snow during the winter which left me feeling achy to the bones by the time all was said and done. Last year, we decided to bite the bullet and get one for home use. I can't even tell you how amazing it has been! Using a Far Infrared Sauna has so many other health benefits on top of pain relief. I got my sauna from Good Health Saunas and I HIGHLY recommend them!
This is what has worked for me! I'd love to hear what works for you!
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