Lifestyle strategies to help manage acute pain

Acute pain refers to pain that lasts anywhere from a few minutes to several months, usually associated with an injury, medical procedure, infection, or other clear cause. The goal of treatment is to reduce pain while the body heals and recovers. Maintaining quality of life and function are important to this treatment goal. Minimizing the risk of complications and adverse outcomes is also a significant focus.

Pain-relieving medications are a common treatment, with non-opioid medications being the preferred treatment option whenever possible. Opioids may be necessary in cases of severe pain that needs to be reduced quickly, but these are used with caution due to the risk of misuse, addiction, drug interactions, and overdose.

Opioid medications, especially with prolonged use, can also increase the risk of acute pain becoming chronic pain. Chronic pain is persistent, long-term pain that often involves alterations of pain pathways in the nervous system and can be difficult to treat. This is one of the adverse outcomes that healthcare providers seek to avoid when planning treatment for acute pain.

In addition to medications, a treatment plan can include physical therapy, massage, electrical stimulation, acupuncture, relaxation therapy, and other non-drug treatments.

Lifestyle interventions may also help a person manage acute pain, promote recovery, and help prevent acute pain from progressing to chronic pain.

What strategies may be recommended for acute pain?

Ask your healthcare providers if there are steps you can take to get the most out of acute pain management and help your body heal, or if there are materials or guidelines to follow while taking any pain medication you’ve been prescribed.

Some of the topics you may discuss:

Food, nutrition, and hydration

• Ask your healthcare provider for guidelines on what to eat. Nutritional needs can increase when recovering from common causes of acute pain like injury, illness, and surgery.
• Focus on lean proteins as well as low-inflammatory foods, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Consider adding foods and ingredients known to have an anti-inflammatory effect, such as turmeric, ginger, dark leafy greens, colorful berries, and foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as seeds, nuts, and fatty fish.
• Limit or avoid pro-inflammatory foods and ingredients, including sugary foods, refined carbs, processed foods, fatty foods, and foods high in saturated fats and trans fats.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Replenishing electrolytes is important if recovering from illness and surgery.

Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs

• Alcohol weakens the immune system, promotes inflammation, and interferes with the healing process.
• Alcohol and recreational drugs can also interact with pain medications, leading to side effects and in some cases, emergencies.
• If you smoke or use other forms of tobacco, talk to your healthcare provider about strategies to quit. Smoking is associated with more severe pain and increases the risk of chronic pain.
• Be honest with your healthcare provider about alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drug use.

Exercise and movement

• Certain activities and movements may need to be limited, adjusted, or avoided while your body heals.
• At the same time, certain exercises and physical therapy may be recommended to help promote healing and recovery.
• When starting or introducing an activity or movement, it’s best to start slow, progress gradually, and give yourself plenty of time for rest and recovery.
• Ask your healthcare provider for guidelines—your healthcare provider will be your best source of information for all items on this list.

Sleep

• Tissue repair occurs during sleep, which means getting enough sleep is essential to healing and recovery from injuries, infections, medical procedures, and other common causes of acute pain.
• Practice good sleep hygiene, including minimizing caffeine intake (especially later in the day), going to bed at consistent times, keeping the bedroom cool and dark, and limiting screen time in the hours before bed.
• If pain is interfering with sleep, tell your healthcare provider.

Stress reduction

• Stress and pain have a bidirectional association. Being in pain can increase stress, and stress can make pain more intense.
• Significant and/or frequent stress is a risk factor for chronic pain and is something that should be addressed as part of a treatment plan.
• Treating acute pain is a good time to incorporate stress-reducing activities in your day-to-day life. These can include practices like meditation and relaxation therapy, as well as making time for things that you enjoy.