Over the years I’ve learnt little tricks to help with pain relief. So here’s my tips.
1. Magnets. Tiny little magnets on plasters you can stick on your body where it hurts, it’s meant to increase blood flow and ease pain and tension in muscles. Whether it works as a placebo or not, I don’t care, they work! If you’re allergic to plasters (band aids) then use surgical tape (micropore). You can reuse the magnets in this way too. Go for the strongest gauss you can afford. Be careful you don’t put prolonged contact with heat on where the magnets are, you can get a burn.
2. Heat packs (wheat packs or similar) and hot water bottles. Have plenty on standby and use as much as you want, just be careful of burns.
3. Ice, use first if there’s inflammation, then use heat.
4. Perskindol active gel. All natural pain relief, this little beauty really works within minutes. Be prepared to be amazed! Steal, beg and borrow to get your hands on some (I believe it’s only available in the UK, some pharmacy sites will ship to other countries). DON’T use heat after you’ve applied it or you’ll end up with a nasty burn.
5. Leg pains? Lay on your back on the bed and put your legs against the headboard/wall for half an hour.
6. Lower back pain, MBT’s/Fit Flop shoes help.
7. Back pain and can’t get comfortable? Lay on your side and hunch your top half over, bringing your arms into your chest, it eases tension. Also stand in front of a wall, feet further back and press your hands on the wall whilst bending over with your head down, also try gently stretching backwards too.
8. I find memory foam mattress toppers to make my Ehlers-Danlos and chostochondritis MUCH worse. By moulding to your body you move much less during the night which increases stiffness and pain with EDS. Feather bed mattress toppers or microfibre toppers are much more comfortable, I also use a folded duvet to lay on as well for more padding. As for beds, orthopaedic just means very hard! This is no good for me, a very soft bed with lots of ‘give’ in the springs are much better (open coil springs at 13.5-15 gauge).
9. Millet filled pillows, can be adjusted to suit you, give great support and is much softer than buckwheat or memory foam.
10. Self-hypnosis Cd’s/mp3′s. especially those by Glenn Harrold. Helps relax you, get you to sleep and ease some pain as a result of muscle tension.
11.Distraction, a good book or something that takes your focus off the pain can help.
12. Pure lavender essential oil. I use loads of this, it works as a natural pain reliever and helps with tense, painful muscles. I put it on neat, you can also use 20 drops in a bath for relaxation, muscle soother and to help you sleep after.
13, If you have cold hands as a result of Raynauds or bad circulation or pains in hands, get some usb heated gloves for working on the computer.
USB heated gloves for my Reynaud’s? How terribly awesome!! I’ll try those magnets, too. Most of the rest I’ve done, too. Featherbeds really are amazing, I agree. Thanks for this post…it’s great!
I’ve never heard of millet pillows before … are they really softer than memory foam? Do you know anywhere in the UK that does millet filled body pillows? (and would they be any good if you could get them?) I need a new pillow but can’t seem to find any as good as my old ones. I’ve had to send one back (a microfibre filled one) which actually had this hole in the filling right where my knee needed to be, and gave me really bad pain the first day I tried to use it. (So frustrating since they’re so expensive!!)
Millet is like a buckwheat pillow yet much less noisy and softer. Worth a try. It doesn’t ‘give’ like memory foam but can be adjusted to support your neck. Not sure of where you can get a millet body pillow but this is a lin for the ordinary pillow http://www.welovesleep.co.uk/item-227-Organic_Millet_Pillow.aspx
If you like memory foam but want something softer, you could try a latex pillow.
For a body pillow you could maybe buy a case for one and fill it with millet yourself? The millet pillow link above supplies millet husks.
I use a latex (dunlopillo) for my head and I can’t sleep on anything else nowadays. Memory foam is much too hard, feathers don’t give enough support.
I’ve never tried a buckwheat pillow, though have heard of them of course, so can’t quite imagine what that’s like.
Hmm interesting idea filling it myself – wouldn’t have thought of that I don’t think! Wouldn’t be able to do it myself but would have to ask my carer. Not sure if she’d be up to it though as she’s now sick with post viral syndrome too – we’re like the blind leading the blind lol.
Oh no, you need a carer for the carer lol
Sure do!! It’s quite funny sometimes … but really, not. She’s basically been stuck in bed most of the time with me, for 6 months or so now. she’s able, JUST to do some basic cooking etc – but then gets slammed with the post exertional stuff. I’m really worried for her – living with me and caring for me all these years – what if she ends up with full blown ME too!! At least she’s come straight off work and is taking care of herself to some extent, which I didn’t of course back at the beginning!
Hey hon,
Have you heard that perskindol gel is being discontinued? I went to buy some more this week and every shop I went to was out of stock and one listed it as discontinued, so I contacted a store and they told me it’s being discontinued. I’m totally gutted as it’s been a god-send since you suggested it to me!!
The store suggested I try pernaton gel instead, so I’ve ordered a tube to try – I just hope it actually works!!!
Thought I’d let you know as I know you rely on perskindol too! Do you have any others you use which are good?
Hoping you’re doing ok. xxx
Omg, no I didn’t know that! Thanks for letting me know. Why do they always discontinue stuff when I find how good something is?! I’d better stock up! lol Neat pure essential lavender oil works too but is smelly! lol x
Good news! I emailed the makers of Perskindol and just had a reply back. Their response is: Although Perskindol has been discontinued, we are hoping to bring it back around November this year due to customer demand.
Yay!
That’s awesome news!! Sounds like lots of people have been contacting them about the discontinuation. Makes you wonder that they didn’t realise how many people rely on it in the first place! *rolls eyes*
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a replacement, I’ve trialled a few different ones over the last few weeks, which pharmacies I contacted recommended as a replacement, and the one that comes closest and seems to work pretty well is Pernaton gel. The only problem with it is that it costs a little more. (though if you buy the huge 1000ml tub, it’s closer in price to Perskindol – which is ok with me since I tend to buy in bulk to keep prices down as much as possible, anyway)