3 Ways to Support a Loved One with Chronic Pain

MAPS - Chronic Pain Blog

How to Support a Loved One With Chronic Pain

For people who don’t experience chronic pain themselves, understanding how best to support a loved one who does isn’t always easy. Whether their condition results from a specific injury or not, learning a few ways to support them in their day-to-day lives can make a big difference.

Whether you’re looking for simple strategies to relate emotionally or connect them with a Chicago pain doctor for further treatment, you can find the solution you’re looking for here.

Understand Their Symptoms

To lay an effective foundation for short or long-term support, it’s important to first understand the specific symptoms of the person experiencing chronic pain. Symptoms can vary widely in terms of location, severity, and type of pain. In some cases, those experiencing chronic pain may also have chronic pain personality syndrome, a condition that affects them deeply on an emotional and cognitive level.

Start by asking some of these basic questions to get a better idea of their symptoms

  • Where does it hurt?
  • On a scale of 1-10, how severe is the pain?
  • When did the pain start?
  • What helps the pain?
  • What makes it worse?

Help With Practical Tasks

On a day-to-day basis, finding ways to help with simple tasks can be a surefire way to help a person suffering from chronic pain. Ask them what kinds of tasks are most difficult to complete on their own.

It’s also important to understand that their pain level can vary from day to day. While they may find a task easy on one day, it may be more difficult on the next. What’s not helpful, is to ever question or be suspicious of what they report as pain. No matter how sympathetic and attuned you may be, you simply cannot understand what they are experiencing and what they are feeling. Remain supportive and continue to help if you are truly dedicated to helping them get through this difficult time.

Encourage Proactive Treatment

Helping with treatment can include joining them for their doctor’s appointments, taking medications, getting regular exercise, or eating well. In all of these cases, consistency is key, and your support can be the thing they need for long-term health.

If you want to learn more about managing chronic pain, get in touch with one of the leading Chicago pain doctors at Midwest Anesthesia and Pain Specialists. Our doctors have the experience to help identify the cause and treatments to help manage chronic pain.