Are you suffering from chronic pain?
Having some aches and pains here and there is normal for most people, particularly when you reach a certain age. However, if you keep experiencing the same type of pain and it never goes away, it can be a big problem.
For a lot of us, chronic pain manifests itself as back or joint pain. As fathers, it’s often harder to deal with this than we let on. We feel the need to hide the pain from our kids as we’re supposed to be “strong”. It gets progressively harder as you do things with your children, like play outside with them or carry them on your shoulders. You need to deal with chronic pain as early as possible so it can be treated. Otherwise, it’ll keep getting worse.
So, what options are at your disposal? Here are three things you should try:
Find some immediate pain relief
Firstly, you need to find some relief from the pain. It’ll help you deal with your daily tasks as a father without constantly wincing in pain. You’ve got a whole host of options at your disposal, but it is worth seeing a doctor for advice.
They could prescribe anything from medical marijuana to topical painkiller gels. It depends on the level of your pain, but taking something to ease your suffering will help you get by. This won’t be the long-term solution, but it helps initially as you combat the pain.
Tackle the root of the problem
Where is your chronic pain coming from? Again, this is why it’s always important to see your doctor for any concerning health issues. When they prescribe your pain relief, they’ll also do some tests or ask a few questions to help diagnose the issue. A lot of the time, it could be something obvious – like arthritis or a slipped disc in your back. Other times, it may be something like poor posture causing chronic pain in your joints, etc.
Regardless, finding the root of the problem gives you something to focus on. You can now treat this problem and it will gradually ease the pain and prevent it from coming back.
Exercise regularly to build strength
Tackling the cause of chronic pain will usually involve doing some exercises or rehabilitation work. You should go one step further than this and continue exercising regularly. Lifting weights is really good for chronic pain as you can build muscle and strength. This does a great job of protecting your joints and stopping some of the main causes of chronic pain.
From here, you’ll also be much stronger and fitter, which helps you take a more active role with your kids. You can run around outside with them for longer, or pick them up and carry them without feeling the same aches and pains.
At the end of the day, you want your kids to have the best life possible. They need a healthy father to be there for them all the time. You must take your health seriously – even if the pain starts off as a small ache, but it’s there all the time, you should take action to become pain-free and healthier.
