Food and Pain Management

1953Judith
1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
edited November 2024 in Motivation and Support
Has anyone confronted the desire to deal with intense physical pain by eating, eating, eating. What techniques did you use to divert yourself from that cycle?

I am hitting what I think is my first big health hurdle since I started addressing my weight issues. I have intense lower back pain. Good news, it's not metastized cancer! Bad news is that I can't see the next doctor until Thursday. Meanwhile my wonderful exercise habits must change. I am going to attempt swimming tomorrow and slow walking. I am so miserable I am having trouble finding any comfort except food. I'm not even hungry. It is hard to stay energized.

Ideas and suggestions. I'm happy to maintain, not willing to gain, want to reduce the pain.

Replies

  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
    Help
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
    bump attempt
  • cjaharmon
    cjaharmon Posts: 46 Member
    This is a topic I can discuss. I have no joint cushion or cartilidge in my right ankle. I am in pain aislmost everyday. What I.have done is two.fold first go do something at the gym when I hurt walk light weights just something. Second I allow myself to feed the pain when its bad I just feed it differently...before it would have been a bag of candy or big bowl of ice cream
    Now I feed it with a small treat under 200 calories and only if I did number 1 and exercised to release the adrenaline to help cope with the pain.

    Pain is horrible and can be depressing. Good luck
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
    I never realized how undermining chronic pain can be. I appreciate you notion of doing something active even if it is a far cry for my desired mobility. I am hoping my situation is something treatable. I want to marshall the skill sets for good health that I have developed over the years to help me cope with this, I don't want to revert back to old habits. One of the reasons I have attempted to strengthen my body through good habits is so that I would be in better shape to deal with unexpected health challenges. Now I have one and I am self doubting my stength. So I really appreciate your sharing that you have found the strength to deal with ongoing pain. It really helps.
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
    Last bump attempt. Here is my plan of action until I get to the doctor which has been moved up to Thursday. If anyone has any suggestions to improve or adapt this plan, please feel free to comment.

    1. Cut MFP activity to sedentary and weightloss to maintenance.
    2. Treat back with ice in 15 min-on, 15 min-off for hour intervals periodically throughout the day.
    3. Gentle walking 2-4 miles a day (no holding the dog leash, spouse must accompany if dog accompanies)
    4. Gentle swim and whirlpool at least one day this weekend.
    5. Stretching for five minutes every time I am tempted to get an unplanned snack (this applies at home or at work).
    6. Ask spouse to put my traditional comfort foods (mostly nuts and mini-chocolate chips) out of reach and sight.
  • maf66
    maf66 Posts: 211 Member
    Have you tried alternating heat and ice? I severely broke the neck of my humerus bone last june, 2 other fractures, sprained wrist, elbow and shoulder and to put icing on the cake, tore my rotator cuff. I am in constant pain and alternating ice and heat helps. i I have also eliminated white starch/processed foods from my diet. No white rice/potatoes/pasta. No refined sugary foods, only home baked goods with whole wheat flour and brown sugar. I take Citracal and a vid D supplement at dinner as they tend to relax. Also, they have to be taken together or neither will absorb in your body seperately. I take a good dose of omega 3's in the form of ground flax seeds. I prefer flax over fish oil due to the fiber content, it keeps me fuller longer. I usually mix it with high protein greek yogurt. And lastly, I take a green tea supplement in the morning due to caffeine content. Its a really good antioxidant and those help decrease inflammation also. Those were recommended to me by my ortho surgeon and over time, my pain has decreased.

    Google something like "foods to reduce inflammation", and educate yourself on what foods to avoid and what foods are beneficial.

    I would think those nuts and choc chips are increasing inflammation due to the high fat content. I also no longer consume ANY whole fat dairy and only eat lean red meat occasionally and I never consume artificial sweeteners.

    A good dietician could really help you with this, perhaps see if your doc can recommend one for you! And if swimming and the whirlpool help, do it daily!!

    I really do hope you feel better soon, I know first hand how pain can affect every area of your life, I gained 30 # since my fall.
  • Brian_VA
    Brian_VA Posts: 125
    Has anyone confronted the desire to deal with intense physical pain by eating, eating, eating. What techniques did you use to divert yourself from that cycle?

    I am hitting what I think is my first big health hurdle since I started addressing my weight issues. I have intense lower back pain. Good news, it's not metastized cancer! Bad news is that I can't see the next doctor until Thursday. Meanwhile my wonderful exercise habits must change. I am going to attempt swimming tomorrow and slow walking. I am so miserable I am having trouble finding any comfort except food. I'm not even hungry. It is hard to stay energized.

    Ideas and suggestions. I'm happy to maintain, not willing to gain, want to reduce the pain.

    You don't give any details about the injury. How long ago did this happen? What were you doing when it did happen? Are you taking ibuprofen or anything else and is it helping? I have heard that it is important to exercise your lower back in concert with your abs or you can cause an imbalance and cause injury.

    My first advice, more for the future, is to listen to your body while exercising. If certain things like your lower back, knees, shoulders, feet and joints start to hurt, stop what you are doing. If it still feels funny after a few minutes of resting, go home and take some ibuprofen and rest. Next time out, back off of the intensity until you are sure things are all working properly. This helps avoid more serious injury. I have a sensitive shoulder that acts up from time to time. There have been days I do my first bench press and feel a little tweak in my shoulder. I immediately stop and do something else that day and give it a few day's rest before trying it again at a lower weight.

    But when you do get hurt, you need to seek professional (Dr's) advice and do what they say. But an injury in one area doesn't mean you have to stop all exercise, but you would have to focus on exercises that don't put pressure and cause pain. Often exercise machines, which are good at isolating certain muscles and muscle groups are still doable when you are hurt. I have an elbow issue (tendonitis) at the moment and use an exercise machine to do my shoulders, which totally bypasses any weight on my elbow. With lower back issues you may still be able to do many exercises without hurting your back. Working through the pain is NOT a good idea. It makes the injury worse and elongates the recovery.

    If you are doing cardio and not strength training, this may be a good time to try some strength training for a while. But you may find a cardio exercise (you said you would try swimming) or a machine like an elliptical, bicycle, or hand bike that doesn't hurt. A little trial and error may be required to see. Be prepared to stop very quickly if it hurts. Make sure to take enough ibuprofen before working out. Do some research on the dosage, 1-2 may be good for a headache, but taking it consistently and maybe at a higher dosage is required to give the anti-inflammatory benefits you need.

    But if an injury sidelines you, and you were dependent on the calorie burn to maintain your eating habits, you'll have to learn to eat less. I once had surgery and had to stop exercising for 1-2 months. I didn't adjust my eating like I should have and put on weight, which took quite a while to reverse. My only advise would be to let MFP guide your eating habits!

    Good luck!
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
    Oddly, it is not an injury per se. It has come on gradually. I kept exercising strength training and cardio because it was not intense. It is worst when I do ordinary walking and sleeping. I started with the oncologist when the pain was in the milder but not going away stages because that is the protocol with my medical care. We needed to rule out two things cancer metastasizing and possible side effects from adjuvant therapy. Fortunately those have been ruled out. Medically I am awaiting the next appoint as the pain continues to get worse. I only intend to do mild activity until then and not embark on new or continue with my current patterns. So mostly I am just trying to figure out on the emotional side how to avoid a nutritional meltdown and how to continue refining my eating to best take care of my body. I am optimistic that this is something that physical therapy, patience and a good attitude can address. Thanks for the ideas.
  • cjaharmon
    cjaharmon Posts: 46 Member
    I def think hiding the food that you turn too will help. I Have done the same or my pain. I don't allow myself to buy the things I will pig out on, I may have a bad day but at least there isn't a gallon of ice cream to eat. I just eat small things now when I feel poorly
  • ChristieStearns
    ChristieStearns Posts: 94 Member
    I know how you feel.

    I'm just 28 years old but I have degenerative disc diseas and 6 herniated discs - 3 in my upper back, 3 in my lower. Also arthritis in my sacrum which causes intense hip pain. I keep myself busy with hobbies like knitting and scrapbooking to help keep from eating... and although it seems hard when you're in pain, I find that exercise really helps. Honestly when I exercised 2-3 days a week I felt like it hurt too much but when I started exercising DAILY... all the sudden my pain decreased. I find yoga moves and stretching help a LOT and just walking. Really keeps me feeling better.

    Good luck!
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
    I guess I can't feel too sorry for myself. Christie, I am so sorry you are suffering such pain. I'm still not diagnosed, so I'm being really careful about exercise. I tried taking a walk but that was too painful. So I have done very slow swimming two days in a row and I do think it helps. I am really trying to stay focused on not turning to food right now. I think it helped to up my calories to maintenance. I keep reminding myself that no matter the challenges I want to do my part to help heal.
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
    CJ, I also want you to know how much I appreciate your input. I am hoping I am not going to be dealing with long term chronic pain. It sure is opening a window of understanding about those of you who face this challenge day in and day out.

    And Maf66, I really am focusing on healthy foods right now. My husband bought me a clay pad that I can heat or freeze. The cold helps a lot, the heat seems to aggravate the pain.
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