Easy ways to manage chronic pain

It would be great to give you the perfect mix of tips to guarantee that you won't ever face chronic pain, but it's not possible. There is just too wide a range of causes, from disease to injury to old-fashioned wear and tear. While we have to acknowledge that pain becomes more prevalent with age, there are effective ways to minimize it, and in some cases, erase it.

You can also try the treadmill. Studies show that exercise can be a powerful antidote to pain. There are many reasons: Strong muscles take pressure off joints; exercise washes your body with nourishing oxygen and nutrients, and it also releases feel-good brain chemicals that provide relaxation and relief. The key is to go for more than 10 minutes — shorter bouts don't seem to help.

In fact, nearly any type of physical exercise will significantly improve your pain — as long as you stick with it (even after you start feeling better). Not every pain can be diagnosed or explained. But all pain can be reduced and managed. You owe it to yourself to do so.

Okay, you don't really have to chant, but meditating can do more for low back pain in older adults than any over-the-counter drug. In a study published in the journal Pain, 37 adults age 65 and older either joined a mindfulness-based meditation program that met weekly for eight weeks, or were wait-listed for the program (the control group). Those meditating significantly improved their scores on an objective pain scale and upped their activity levels compared to the control group.

Another study found that people who listened to a seven-minute tape that helped them relax, focus on the images their pain elicited, and then change those images with their mind described their pain as "more tolerable" or "easier to control" than a control group. This type of guided imagery can be learned in a class or through tapes available online and in most health food stores.

Ask your doctor for information about educational classes for people with chronic pain. Simply learning the whys and wherefores of your pain can significantly improve it! These programs typically include information about the causes of pain, pain assessment, medications, and nondrug approaches. You might also want to bring a family member along so they can better understand your experiences and the most effective approaches.

Biofeedback teaches you to control involuntary reactions, voluntarily. For instance, instead of tensing when you feel pain, which can make the pain worse, you learn to relax, which stems the release of pain-inducing stress hormones. In one study, 17 participants between the ages of 55 and 78 learned to use biofeedback to relax their muscles and breathe more slowly and deeply. Not only did their pain improve, but they were able to elicit certain physiological changes that contributed to the decrease in pain.

For instance, their skin temperature increased, indicating more blood flow to the painful area, which helps clear away toxins and inflammatory chemicals that may be adding to the hurt.

These basic steps will help you minimize your chronic pain.