I live in Scotland ....a rather damp climate at times which seriously affects me......winter is ok here if it is cold and frosty (for what ever reason) but if it rains I can't always weight bear on my foot/leg/wrist joints....there is always light at the end of the tunnel and my light is that I am going to India just before Xmas and I am not back until mid January so I know I am going to fair better whilst I am in India and you know what, that makes me feel better even now..I stil won't be able to run or jump but being less sore is enough for me thanks
Gelita, can you clarify the statement "...pain is a mental activity"? Are you saying there is no physiologic basis for pain?
Oh yes you would be more than familiar with our weather and humidity. Hang in there.
Louise said:
Hi Robyn,
I know Shepparton. I grew up not too far from there in Bendigo.
You are corroect, my joints doo seem to fell dehydration first.
As I type this, it is going to be 41 here today and it rained this morning (ugh). I am in so much pain at the moment. I have taken extra painkillers, but they are not helping me today. I am also tired, as I didn’t sleep last night, a combination of heat and pain.I have no air conI feel like I have whining now. Sorry. As I said, tired and pain.
You know that when you hurt yourself, the nerves tell the brain and the brain tells the nerves to react--and how to react. Well, whenever you are concentrated doing something, you may not feel the intensity of the hurt, until you're done and you look at yourself. Pain is controlled by the mind. You keep your mind busy, and it hurts less. Don't get me wrong, it still hurts, but it doesn't hurt as much as if you just feel sorry for yourself and keep thinking and talking about it. When I cannot do anything, I watch TV, play games with the computer; anything that may absorb me to the point where I forget about the pain.
Elle said:
Gelita, can you clarify the statement "...pain is a mental activity"? Are you saying there is no physiologic basis for pain?
Gelita, distraction is a great tool. I use it all the time, too. But there is a pain that goes past the point of distraction! Sometimes people have pain so severe that distraction just isn't going to help. So thank God for pain meds!!!
That is a very important point Elle! In the long term painkiller relaince is a sign that you need to change your disease management strategy. But in the short term when that pain is bad, no brain is strong enough to outhink it! There have been times when my knees have been so swollen that it's felt as if they would burst. At these times the pain of my throbbing nerves is so great I cry and grimace for hours on end. When it is this bad, I know that for me, there is nothing I can do to cut the pain except load on the painkillers (or get to the A&E/ER). Nothing can distract me from the pain, but painkillers can mask it until the swelling goes down enough for me to breath again! Thats when I move on to happy thoughts and reading/tv watching for solace. We are animals after all, and mind over matter can only take us so far. Sometimes dulling the pain with painkillers is the only option.
Elle said:
Gelita, distraction is a great tool. I use it all the time, too. But there is a pain that goes past the point of distraction! Sometimes people have pain so severe that distraction just isn't going to help. So thank God for pain meds!!!