Non drug treatments for chronic pain

[ChocolateTurtle]

Has anyone found any non drug treatments effective for their chronic pain?
I currently take daily lyrica (pregabalin), and solpadol, initially prescribed for hip and sciatic pain. I also have shoulder pain, intermittent back pain and more recently neck pain and headaches. I have recently finished treatment for ovarian cancer and being so unwell has definitely added to my chronic pain (I only started getting headaches during cancer treatment).
I hate taking daily painkillers and would love to hear if anyone has had any success with non drug alternatives?

Have you been refered to a pain clinic? I didn't have much luck but for some it helps I tried acupuncture, meditation, lignocaine patches to name a few.
I did have some physio (didn't work for sciatica because they couldn't do full treatment due to other disabilities) however it did help (not cure) my neck and headache.

A tens machine?

I have been on the waiting list for the public pain clinic for over 4 years. I did see a pain specialist earlier this year. He suggested increasing my lyrica. He also said he would refer me for an injection for my sciatica but I haven't heard anything back yet.
I have found deep tissue massage reduces my symptoms (but not to the degree I could come off my meds), so I go when I can afford to. I have tried physio and it didn't help much. That said I know I do need to go back to doing a few basic exercises /stretches as my pain has definitely got worse while I have been less active going through my cancer treatment. I have chronic fatigue from my cancer treatment which makes exercise difficult

I do use a TENS machine sometimes and it is great for when I need to hold off taking my pain meds for an hour. However I find the pain relief doesn't last for long after I've used it.
I am looking into this: biowavego.co.uk
The private pain clinic where I live uses them so they are legit. It is a lot of money though at the moment, as I am off work long term because of my cancer diagnosis

i was taking meloxicam and it did help with the pain. However if you have acid reflux you shouldn’t take it as it can aggravate the stomach and the reflux.

Sorry I posted a drug in the non drug discussion.
Sorry about that!

Thanks Hammer, that's ok, I'm always open to hearing new approaches to managing chronic pain. I do get acid reflux sometimes, so doesn't sound like the best approach for me, but always good to know what's out there

Chocolate Turtle
wishing you all the best with your cancer treatment too. I have chronic leukemia but so far I haven’t had to get any treatment. There’s fatigue that goes along with it but not too bad.
I have a tens unit but it’s only temporary relief. Better than nothing though!

Swimming in cold, open water
It's been life changing for me

Cbd keeps me sane, I have Fibromyalgia, ME/ CFS, Arthritis & Peripheral Neuropathy, I'm on gabapentin, dihydracodeine & paracetamol for my chronic pain & use CBD oil & gummies & vape CBD juice, it stops the chronic pain from getting to the stage where I have to increase what I already take & on a good day means I don't need all my meds.

tens machine, also could you try yoga/meditation this could help you mobility wise and I won’t say cure pain but improve your mental space if you can really relax and do it regularly. Heat can also be effective, pads or wheat bags or warm jacuzzi. I bought a hot tub when I had back pain it was brilliant.
You could combine deep relaxing meditation with aromatherapy- take yourself somewhere else and use tricks like temperature and scent to mentally transport yourself there. I did a yoga course years ago where the teacher sprayed an essential oil - if I smell that now I am just transported to a place of such calm. I would say don’t underestimate the benefits of keeping moving as much as you can- gentle or deep stretch, walking, swimming. Sounds silly but the main thing I’ve ever done to improve my overall quality of life was to get a dog. Forced me to move, breathe fresh air, and relax in good company. Seek out what is wholesome to you. Best of luck to you xx

Yoga, other physical activities, hot baths with epsom salts, herbal remedies like black cumin seed oil and boswellia, heating pads, massage devices, pain reliever creams, and a tens unit.
It's not any one thing. You need a variety of strategies.

Agree with most of the above, certainly that you need a variety of strategies.

The thing I wanted to mention is "radical acceptance", a meditative and/or hypnotherapy approach intended to re-educate your brain. Pain exists to alert us to something wrong. In chronic situations, we already know what's wrong and are trying to do something about it so, theoretically, the brain doesn't need to register that particular pain any more. Some people can fully eliminate their pain this way: I've never managed that, but have succeeded in not feeling too upset about hurting. My results have been variable so I'm not saying it's a miracle cure - just that it's worth a try along with everything else!

I take painkillers but I also have a TENS machine.

I also use a hot water bottle and ice packs and chamomile tea.

Tens will only work whilst in use, that's how they work by gate control pain theory, distracting the brain via other stimuli. I use mine 16 odd hrs a day

Heat/cold as preferred also helpful

I read that needling can be helpful for neck pain due to arthritis so I’ve done that a few times. I can’t say it’s made a big difference but I don’t want to miss an opportunity to try something that could really help. I have noticed a bit of relief.
Has anyone had any experience with that or acupuncture??

Thanks everyone, I definitely will explore some of these options

The Protectometer might help with functional pain.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Explain-Pain-Handbook-Protectometer/dp/0975091093. We found this book more helpful than the other CBT based ones we have read, but of course it is an individual thing.

I have had acupuncture and it helped some, but the effect only lasted a few hours. All it does is stimulate endorphin release, which exercise can do as well. So I considered it a waste of money. If I had unlimited money to have it done daily it would be worth it.
I find the same to be true of myofascial release.

This is probably going to sound completely insane but the one thing that really works for me is knitting / crochet - I have really severe lupus, Addisons, bladder and kidney issues etc all sorts, I get the highest doses of Cocodamol prescribed and amitriptyline and Tramadol (not used at the same time as the Cocodamol obviously) but weirdly enough the knitting really helps. It’s very calming and you get into such a weird sort of meditative state when you do it, it’s like you can’t think about anything else. I don’t really follow any patterns, I find it better just to knit or crochet blankets so I can just sort of zone out in front of a good Tv programme and it really does help to dissociate from the pain.

If you’ve never done it before you tube has great videos to learn, and wool warehouse online is a good place to get loads of wool cheaply.

I wore a TENS machine almost constantly during the day/evening for a couple of years before my recent surgery for my slipped disc and I really couldn't have got through this time without it. I was determined not to take pregabalin or gabapentin because of the link to dementia and the effect I saw it have on my mum who had a similar back problem, and managed on codeine, paracetamol, and naproxen when it got really bad. I also had regular acupuncture for the second year, and it made such a difference. Again, I'm not sure I could have coped without it. Now that I've had my surgery and improving, my surgeon has told me that if I damage my back badly again, I should see the acupuncturist immediately whilst I wait for an appointment with him.

I don’t have experience of a situation as complicated as yours, but I’ve found craniosacral therapy surprisingly good for long lasting MSK pain. I don’t ‘believe in’ it iyswim but it still seems to work.

For chronic scar / wound pain, I needed to desensitise it with very gentle touch over a long period of time so that my body gradually re-learnt that not every sensation in that body area needed to trigger a pain signal.