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Products for chronic pain management
Dealing with chronic pain everyday is annoying. You never know how you’re going to feel when you wake up in the morning or what might cause a flare. While there are obvious solutions to reducing pain, like heat packs or ice, sometimes it’s the little things that can make a difference. If I can prevent even the tiniest bit of discomfort, I will. Here are five unexpected products I use for chronic pain management in small ways that can really add up.
A Good Detangling Brush
Brushing my hair can be a real chore. My hair is really fine and straight, so in theory you would think it’s easy to brush. Having a messed up dominant arm says otherwise.
This brush greatly reduces the amount of time I spend with my arm raised. I don’t have to fight with tangles, even with wet hair. It just goes right through whatever mess I have going on. Not having to fight with my hair means I can reduce the strain on my ulnar nerve and my shoulder. It’s also really good for an itchy scalp. You can get an awesome one from Amazon.
A Stand Mixer
This. Thing. Is. GOLD. I have always loved baking, but my arm, back and neck hate it. With my KitchenAid stand mixer, I can just throw ingredients into the bowl and watch it do the muscle work for me. No more stirring, no more vibration or raised arm from a hand mixer, no more whisking.
I wanted a stand mixer for years and now that I finally have one, I can’t believe how much it helps me get things done. I bake more, I make meatloaf, I make whipped cream, I make pretty much anything I can think of. If it needs stirring, it goes in the bowl.
I cannot stress enough how much I love this thing. It is definitely one of the best unexpected products for chronic pain management. You can get one from Amazon. If you’re having a hard time finding one, you can also check Bed Bath and Beyond. You can also buy a ton of different attachments.
A Hands Free Dog Leash
I have a pretty big dog, just over 100 pounds. He’s really well behaved, but he’s half pittie so if he gets distracted while out for a walk he isn’t going anywhere. A lot of the time he likes to stop short behind me, which jerks me to a stop. If I’m holding a traditional leash with my bad arm this experience suuuuucks. He also really loves people and if we run into someone he knows he will drag my ass over to them no matter what. It’s not easy trying to hold back that much weight of pure muscle.
Enter the hands free leash. Having a leash around the waist prevents my arm from getting pulled all over the place and gives me a better centre of gravity for digging in my heels if I need to. It also has a bungee so I’m not jolted to a stop. Plus, there’s a handle near the collar if I do need to hold him closer, like when crossing the road. It can also be converted to a regular leash if you don’t want the waist attachment. My husband loves this leash just because in the winter he can put his hands in his pockets. You can get the same one we have on Amazon.
A Steam Mop
I don’t often take care of the floors, makes my pain kinda pissy. Any time I did want to surprise my husband and get the floors done, my body was usually screaming at me after I was done sweeping. Didn’t really make me want to mop afterwards. We had one of those squeeze trigger mops, but the trigger aggravated my nerve pain.
When we bought our house, we suddenly had a lot more floor to clean. I was pregnant at the time too so we were trying to avoid chemical cleaners. So, we looked into steam mops. I did a ton of product comparisons.
We have pets, so we had to consider hair all over the place. We were also about to have a baby, so we wanted to make sure the floors would be super clean afterwards. This steam mop is awesome. It has a vacuum built in, so no more sweeping! You can suck up hair and dirt while ALSO steam cleaning, AT THE SAME TIME!
It’s also reasonably light and easy to maneuver. So while I don’t use it often, when I do, I don’t end up in bed or on the couch the rest of the day. I still get tired, but it’s worth it sometimes to surprise my husband. We have the Bissell Symphony Pet All-in-One Vacuum and Steam Mop.
A WaterPik
I hate flossing. Reason one: my teeth are horribly crowded. Floss can’t get between the majority of my teeth. It either snaps in half or slams into my gums so hard they bleed. Reason two: my TMJ issues mean opening my mouth wide enough for flossing really hurts, really quickly.
When I could finally afford Invisalign, I knew I’d have to floss like three times a day. I had always wanted a WaterPik so it seemed like the perfect time to get one. It was so worth it.
This one is cordless so I can use it in my ensuite or in my downstairs bathroom if my husband is working and I don’t feel like carrying a baby upstairs to use it. It’s super quick and easy. Way better than flossing since I don’t need to keep my mouth open.
It’s effective too. I used a floss pick after the first time I used the WaterPik just to see if anything else came out. Nope. Nice and clean. It holds a charge really well and charges fast when it does need it. Easily one of the best investments I’ve ever made. Better teeth without the jaw pain, worth it. You can get the same one on Amazon.
Final Thoughts
I love all of these products. I never bought any of them with the intention of helping my chronic pain. It was a happy accident that each of them help me in some way. I hope one of them helps you too.
What unexpected products do you use for chronic pain management? Let me know in the comments below.
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