TREATMENTS TO HELP MANAGE PAIN: RELAXATION
Relaxation techniques are now used extensively for the control of chronic pain. Many women with endometriosis coupled with chronic pain have forgotten how to relax. It is not a new skill but one that needs to be relearnt. It will take time and practice, but once mastered it will not only give relief from pain but will also offer a general improvement in your total well-being.
Pain is a vicious cycle. It causes fear, tension, stress and anxiety which leads to muscles tightening, which in turn aggravates the pain. An increase in blood pressure and heart rate may also occur. More energy is used up when a woman is anxious and tense and this may lead to feeling drained and exhausted.
If the cycle of pain, tension, more pain and exhaustion can be broken, then it should eventually result in a reduction of pain.
Most people develop tension throughout their lives as a reaction to some type of stress. You need to learn how to release your tension and develop the ability to relax. There are several ways of developing relaxation skills. Here are two examples of relaxation techniques that you may like to practice.
Controlled breathing
This is one of the oldest and simplest relaxation techniques. With this method you can relax tense muscles, slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.
Choose an area where you will be alone and undisturbed for about half an hour. Find a spot where you can sit or lie in a well supported, comfortable position.
Close your eyes and try to relax your body. Now take a breath slowly and deeply through your nose and out through your partly-closed lips. Concentrate on the rhythm of breathing in and out and feel your tension begin to melt away. Try to maintain this slow, deep, rhythmic breathing for fifteen minutes. It is recommended that this breathing technique be performed daily to gain maximum relief.
Progressive muscle relaxation
If your muscles are tense and tight as a direct consequence of your pain then muscle relaxation can be helpful.
When practising muscle relaxation you should again choose an area where you will be undisturbed for about twenty minutes.
Start by taking slow deep breaths and then concentrate on curling up your toes and tightening them as hard as you can. Maintain this tension and tightness in your toes and feet for about ten seconds. Then relax the feet completely and you will notice how the toes uncurl and your feet become heavy. Feel the contrast between when your muscles are tense and when they are relaxed.
Gradually move up your body, systematically tensing and relaxing the muscles of your legs, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, jaw and face.
As you continue to work through this regime you will again notice the contrast between muscle tension and relaxation; with practice you will be able to relax your muscles when they tighten in response to pain.
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