Ease Chronic Pain while Bedridden: Because if suffering from chronic pain is the pits,then being bedridden with chronic migraine pain is the Mariana Trench of all ailments.

Imagine being in so much agony that just turning your head the wrong way or even blinking gives you unimaginable pain and misery.  It’s no wonder that so many migraine headache sufferers spend a disproportionate amount of time in bed, either waiting for the throbbing headaches to fade or recuperating from the migraine attack.

“How can I relieve headache pain when the migraine medications don’t work?”

Pain relief medications are hit or miss; what relieves migraine pain for one might not work for another.  That doesn’t mean you are without options.  When traditional pain treatments let you down, it’s good to know there are some alternative, although sometimes unusual, methods of soothing your aches and pains that work for many sufferers of chronic illnesses.

Here are 10 pain management tricks that work, even if you’re bedridden:

• Breathe deeply. By now, it’s common knowledge that deep breathing, along with gentle body stretches, is an excellent way to put your body into a state of relaxation.  You might not be able to practice Hatha yoga moves from your bed, but you can easily benefit from the many yoga exercises that utilize breathing techniques for relaxation.

• Take a trip down Memory Lane. Looking at the faces of loved ones releases pain-killing endorphins.  Keep a photo album by your bedside for days when the pain seems too difficult to cope.  Depending on your pain threshold, you might also enjoy seeing a montage of family photos on your computer screensaver.
• Lean on somebody. It’s a proven fact that even the worst-case scenarios become more manageable when you have support from friends and family.  If you don’t feel comfortable confiding with anybody about your migraine pain, then join one of the many migraine support groups that exist online and in face-to-face group therapy.

• Let it out. It’s okay to shout out loud when you’re in pain.  Scientists have even proven that “swearing” while suffering from physical pain raises your pain threshold.  So, don’t hold back a few choice words every so often.  Just be careful not to hurt anybody’s feelings or offend others while you’re at it.
• Just imagine. According to a Johns Hopkins study, pain sufferers who replayed romantic scenes in their minds experienced less anxiety and discomfort than subjects who dreamed about food, for example.

• Meditate. Take the opportunity to practice self-hypnosis.  Visualize a comfort zone, and imagine all the sensory features related to it, such as the sound of the wind, the scent of orange blossoms, or the feel of the sand beneath your feet.  Many meditation cd’s are available to provide guidance and background music.
• But don’t think too hard. Sometimes, brooding on an unpleasant situation causes anxiety that ultimately escalates out of control.  When, or if, the situation arises, such as a three-alarm migraine attack, you overreact, robbing yourself of the opportunity to learn how to cope with the symptoms.  Don’t get trapped into a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom.  Try to take things in stride; you might be surprised to learn that what you thought would be a number nine headache on the Richter scale was actually a three.  Stop Your Next Panic Attack in 4 Simple Steps

• Magnet therapy. Whether magnet therapy provides a placebo effect is anybody’s guess.  Sworn believers insist that strategically placed magnets increase blood flow, thus relieving aches and pain.  To test it for yourself, tuck a small magnet under a Band-Aid, and apply wherever you feel pain.  Either way, there’s no harm in trying, and it might help.
• Myofascial Massage. Enlist a close friend or certified masseuse to give you a gentle massage.  Myofascial massage is less strenuous than Swedish massage, which can sometimes be painful.  5 Sports-Related Migraines You Never Heard Of

• Listen to a good book. Reading is out of the question, especially if you suffer from migraines with aura.  That doesn’t mean that you can’t benefit from the pain-relieving distraction that a good story can provide.  Assuming that small sounds don’t also trigger your migraine headaches, then listening to an audio book is an excellent way to make the most out of an uncomfortable situation.

Also read:

Go Ask Alice: Migraine Auras in Wonderland

Perfumes and Migraines: The Good, the Bad, and the Downright Stinky

Sources:

Pain Relief Tips and Tricks | Living life from a bed

The Oddest Pain Relief Tricks That Work – Prevention.com

Different Types Of Massage For The Bedridden | LIVESTRONG.COM