10 drug-free ways to cope with pain

Medications are only part of healing pain; having a support network, taking care of the emotional affects of pain and taking care of your body also play parts. Here are 10 ways to feel better that go beyond popping pills.

Your body is always speaking to you. The more you pay attention to its signals, the better you'll understand what triggers and exacerbates your pain, and the better able you'll be to keep a lid on it.

For example, you may notice your pain increases when you argue with your spouse, when you're doing work you don't like, when you sit too long. Write those observations down and then act on them:

• Try to avoid arguments, perhaps talking after you've calmed down instead
• Work for only short periods on onerous tasks
• Get out of your chair and stretch every half hour or so

• A tried-and-true way to make something hurt less is to think about something explosively positive
• Instead of focusing on an ache, imagine your wedding night or a steamy evening with Mr. or Ms. Right. Vivid romantic fantasies cut pain sensitivity in half in one study of 40 people by researchers at Johns Hopkins University
• Remembering walks on the beach, cuddles under the covers or a special night out not only distract you from pain, they also reduce anxiety and relax you

Borrow a game console or grab the controls of the family Wii. Playing a video game knocked pain levels three times lower than drugs alone in one small study of children. Other research has replicated the finding, and video-game makers report receiving letters from adults who say that gaming is a potent distracter from pain for them, too.

Put on some Duke Ellington or Springsteen, whatever you crave. Enjoying your favourite tunes for an hour a day can cut chronic pain by 21 percent, according to a study of 60 people.

Provided your doctor says sex is safe for you, go ahead and have at it. Sex activates our reward pathways, triggering the release of natural painkillers and dopamine, a brain chemical that makes us feel pleasure.

• If you want to handle your pain perfectly, stop being so perfect
• Type A personalities tend to increase their pain by piling on self-imposed pressures
• The best thing you can do is learn how to be less driven, to take more time to breathe and to relax
• From time to time throughout the day, for example, close your eyes and mentally scan your body for tension. Relax your muscles as you breathe deeply in and out

Martyring yourself and your life to your condition will only make things worse

Can you forgive yourself if you have to give up cooking for 24 for the church supper and lick envelopes instead? Or give up being the first one to make coffee in the morning? Know your limits and stick to them. Be as kind to yourself as you are to others.

Everyone has financial constraints. Sometimes, we skip helpful therapies because at some level we think of them as expensive luxuries. But if massage helps lessen your discomfort, it's worth the money, and so are you.

Your body isn't meant to be in pain. If it is, something's wrong, and it's your responsibility to work at relief.

While medication is often a necessary and effective factor in pain management, following these 10 steps can help you address your pain in a big-picture manner to get you feeling and performing your best.