Riding out the storm: How I deal with rain pain

A few days ago, I shared on Facebook how a cluster of storms heading towards southern California had knocked me down.

The pre-storm pain forced me to take a day off from working on anything other than tending to the needs of my body.

The pain and fatigue my body experienced decreased just as the first storm hit, giving me just enough time and energy to enjoy a few hours at Disneyland over the weekend.

Typically, I only experience joint/muscle tenderness and a low level of fatigue once a storm has hit. However, this round is a bit different as we are expecting rain most of the week.

When dealing with multiple storm fronts, I have to make changes to how I live, work, and play in order to keep my world from falling apart.

Today I am sharing my secrets to surviving a week of rain without losing my mind and body to pain.

Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my coffee drinking habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me supplied with caffeine. It’s a win for everyone.

React

I’m a weather watcher. My favorite app is the weather app on my phone.  I always have my eye on the extended forecast and watch for changes. 

When I see a disturbance nearing I react by going into a mode of defense. I pay extra attention to my main pain source. In my case, that pain source is my spine, from my the tip of my tailbone to the top of my neck. 

When I experience swelling at any part of my spine all hell breaks loose.  To keep the inflammation down, I alternate treating the base of the neck and my lower back with ice, heat, and PEMF treatments. 

As you may already know, PEMF treatments are part of my daily pain management plan, but when weather increases swelling I increase the number of treatments I would normally run on a typical day.

Rest

A stormy week is no time to prove how much I am capable of. 

To come out of the storm feeling strong, I need to rest when my body wants to. 

Multiple naps are not unusual, nor is sleeping later or falling asleep later than normal. 

It is not uncommon for me to be awake at odd hours or to have my nights and days turned around.

Remind

I remind myself that storms don’t last forever. 

Ramping up my pain relief treatments may feel burdensome at the time, but I have to remind myself that I will be back to my regular routine once the storm ends. 

I also remember how I felt after the last time I paid extra attention to my symptoms throughout a storm and vow to work as hard this time too. 

Most importantly, I remind myself that I can’t control the weather and this upswing of pain and fatigue is not my fault.

How do you get through a week of wicked weather?

Published by Cynthia Covert

Diagnosed in 2001 with psoriasis, followed by fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, endometriosis, and later a botched hysterectomy turned her world upside down. Cynthia shares her experience, advice, and tips for how to make life with chronic pain easier and less painful.

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