Managing Pain, Stress, and Physical Symptoms after Injury- Tips and Techniques

Tips and Techniques

Managing Pain, Stress, and Physical Symptoms after Injury

 

It is common to experience physical pain after a traumatic injury. The job of pain is to act as a form of protection to help us avoid further damage to our bodies after we have been injured. Though pain can be beneficial, it can be very uncomfortable and difficult to manage! Time, rest, medications, massage, acupuncture, and/or physical therapy can help reduce physical pain levels. 

We want to help you develop tools to manage your pain. See the tips and techniques below for information about several techniques and exercises that research has shown to help people manage pain. There are many options! Try a few out and see which ones work for you.  

Stress and other physical symptoms are also common after an injury, and can include or cause things like muscle tension, restlessness, and even difficulty breathing in some situations. 

The techniques below have been shown to help people manage pain from injuries and other medical problems, and many of them have also been shown to help manage anxiety, stress, panic symptoms, and other physical reactions!

Having these in your “healing toolkit” will give you tools for managing several types of challenges. 

If you are interested in a free mobile app for managing pain, check out the Department of Veterans Affairs “Pain Coach” app.

Distraction - Music, Art, or Other Enjoyable Activities
Deep Breathing
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Meditation
Visualization
Autogenics - the art of feeling warm, heavy, and relaxed
Enjoying Nature
Exercise

App Cards

 

Pain Coach

Department of Veterans Affairs