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| Welcome to the PainSupport Newsletter | ||||
| Editor: Jan Sadler, MBE | No.239 February 2015 | |||
| Appearances can be deceptive
by Jan Sadler |
Every day I take a short walk from my home to the nearby creek. The creek broadens into an estuary and so attracts many different breeds of birds. I love to spend time there, quietly, by myself. I see how the tides and seasons vary and the changes they bring. There is always something happening, in a small but enjoyable way. There's a swan family which floats serenely on the tide up and down the creek. They always look beautifully calm but I know that with the strong currents in the creek they are often paddling like crazy underneath the water just to hold their position. Most people don't know how hard the swans are having to work to sail on their way. Rather like us. When people see us they have no idea what's going on under the surface or how hard we are working to appear 'normal'. Appearances can be deceptive. When, for instance, friends say, 'Let's meet in the pub for lunch', it requires no particular planning for them, they just turn up, order their lunch and sit down somewhere to await the arrival of their food. For me, it takes a lot of careful thought and planning. First of all I need to make sure the pub serves food quickly as I can't sit and wait for very long. I need to remember to take my seat wedge. When I arrive, my first thought is, 'Where can I sit with reasonable comfort?' I've been known to try six different seats in a country pub in an effort to find somewhere comfortable! These sort of plans and decisions take energy and thought. This is something we often need to explain to people in order to achieve what we want. An 'invisible' condition such as chronic pain makes it difficult for other people to understand us. They tend to judge us at face value, even when they know we have pain. People don't understand that we can go out, look well and appear 'normal' one day - and then have to decline invitations another. They don't appreciate how our activity levels can vary from day to day, even from hour to hour.  This means that it's down to us to explain the situation as many times as we need to. It's really important we let people know how we are, using as much or little information as appropriate in each situation. If we don't, misunderstandings may arise and, more importantly, our needs may not be met, especially where it really matters, such as at home, with family and close friends, at work and with our medical team. So, remember the swan. As you paddle furiously under the water in order to keep going, keep in mind that outward appearances are deceptive and others won't necessarily know what is really going on under the surface - unless we tell them. Find out more about how to explain your pain:
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| New friends waiting for you |
If you’re not already a member, why not join our highly successful and popular Confidential Contact Club? At no charge, of course! There are lots of lovely people out there who just happen to have pain in their lives but who are determined to make the most of things despite it all. You have much to offer them, and they have much to offer you. Ease the pain by sharing life's ups and downs with those who understand. Here is a message recently received from E, a UK member of the PainSupport Contact Club, I felt very isolated with my pain and I'm pleased to say I've now made some lovely new friends on the contact club and I no longer feel so alone. We share pain tips with each other. Register for the Contact Club at the end of this page: Contact Club page |
| Explaining pain and treatments - a video worth watching |
Dr. Dan Clauw, the Director of the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Center at the University of Michigan, presents an overview of what is currently known about what the underlying causes of chronic pain are and discusses the rationale behind a variety of different treatments for chronic pain and fibromyalgia. See video here. You can fast forward to listen to him talking about why certain types of antidepressants are best for pain and why he thinks opioids may cause more pain! He explains the difference between what he calls brain pain (fibro type/multifocal pain) and other pain (single focus eg knee) and centralisation of pain. |
| Review the day |
Sometimes, especially if you've had a tough day, it can be useful to review the day's events and see where you could perhaps make some helpful adjustments. The review will also help you to put things in perspective. Towards the end of each day ask yourself some questions about the day, such as:
Use this downloadable worksheet to help you keep track of how to be as well as possible. Your download Use our printable Pain Logs to keep track of your pain. Log 1: Diary of your pain levels Log 2: How feelings & activities affect your pain |
| Deep Relaxation for pain and stress relief | ||
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When you listen to Jan's soothing voice you will experience the quiet, calm rest of deep relaxation. The healing energy of deep relaxation is the recognised way to gain pain relief and to give your body the best chance of repairing itself. Choose from any of the wonderfully relaxing recordings below. You can buy either CDs or cheaper and instant Download versions. Find out more and listen to a voice sample before you buy: Downloads here or CDs here. OR Click the images below to go to our Shop to find more about each CD or Download and Jan's books. Choose from: |
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Pain Relief Without Drugs 'Highly recommended' by Dr Chris Wells, Consultant, Liverpool Pain Management 
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A Good Night's Sleep Voted top sleep CD by Holland and Barrett and Woman's Weekly 
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Perfect Relaxation Voted top relaxation CD by Woman's Weekly 
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Relax and Release your Pain 'Excellent. Best CD for relaxation' say BackCare.org.uk 
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| Words of Wisdom... |
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'The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us, but those who win battles we know nothing about.' -- Author Unknown |
| Laughter is the best medicine |
I've just been on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday... I'll tell you what - never again. I decided to sell my Hoover... Well, it was just collecting dust. My friend had his neck brace fitted years ago - and since then he's never looked back. I'm learning the hokey cokey. Not all of it. But I've got the ins and outs. We have thousands of jokes in our Laughter is the best medicine series on the Forum, here's a link to all the latest: Visit our Joke Bank You are welcome to add some jokes too - as long as they are nice and clean, of course! |
| Editor's Note |
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We hope you've enjoyed the PainSupport newsletter and find the information useful. Send us your comments and items for the newsletter, we love to hear from you. Email PainSupport here or use our online Contact Us form here 
All best wishes - keep smiling - and keep moving! Jan at PainSupport More about pain relief here Forward this email to a friend |
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You may print the above Newsletter for your own personal and private use but if you wish to use all or part of it for any other reason, please ask first.
Copyright belongs to Jan Sadler.
Many of the tips, treatments, herbs and supplements mentioned in this newsletter are not from medical sources. Check with your doctor and use your own discretion before trying any of the suggestions to ensure they are suitable for your condition and to avoid interaction with any medication you are taking. Always have any undiagnosed pain checked out by a doctor. PainSupport is not responsible for the content of any other website mentioned. PainSupport NEVER passes on your email address to anyone else without your prior permission. 
© Jan Sadler 2015 |
