Lifestyle Tips for the Disabled or Sick

Many people that have a chronic illness or disability need tips to help with daily life. A few tricks can help make the daily grind a lot easier. Continue to read to learn some tips to help for a long term sickness or injury.

      Apparel: Keep clean clothing around that needs very little ironing. Choose materials that require very little upkeep such as cotton.

Image by cookipediachef via Flickr

Beauty: Hair maintenance can be difficult when you have pain or very little energy. Lose the boring ponytail; instead opt for full or partial wigs for an easy yet polished look.

Image by willandbeyond via Flickr

Food: Preparing a wholesome meal can be hard to pull-off with muscle pain. Keep a supply of TV dinners or freeze leftovers. Try a food delivery service to keep from  going out.

 

Soreness: Pain does not always happen at home and good on-the-go alternatives are needed. Use products that can be used in a car or around you when in a bind. Try pain or heat patches, muscle rubs, etc.        

The Other Therapy- Physical and Occupational

A good way to learn how to live with Fibromyalgia and other conditions is to enlist the help of a medical therapist. These people have training in knowing the parts of the body including muscle groups, tendons etc. An occupational or physical therapist can help those with injuries or medical conditions have a more fulfilling and prosperous life.

Occupational Therapy

• Helps people to do regular daily and work activities
• Assist in regaining new skills or re-learning old ones
• Works with patient to discover goals, plan and outcomes
• Performed by occupational therapist (OT) or occupational therapy assistant (OTA)
• OTs hold a graduate degree (minimum) and are licensed
• OTAs supervised by an OT
• OTA hold an associate degree, licensed

Physical Therapy

• Can help with endurance, balance and strength
• Lessens pain and increases movement
• Develops a plan for treatment
• By physical therapist (PT) or physical therapy assistants (PTA)
• PTs hold a graduate degree (minimum), are licensed
• PTAs supervised by PTs
• PTAs may train patients on exercises, equipment
• PTAs hold associate degrees, certified or licensed

Traveling with Medical Conditions

 Knowing how to travel with an invisible illness can be a difficult task, but not impossible. Some people can not take a trip due to other conditions along with muscle pain. I, for one, like to travel and will not let a chronic condition keep me from my joys in life. The content below is to help others figure out how to travel.

The tips are not just for those with chronic pain and related syndromes. People that experience asthma, irritating skin problems and fatigue should consider the information below.

Start Small

Begin with short journeys to figure out where to go from there. A small trip can be anywhere from an hour to three hours depending on your tolerance and risk level. Make multiple trips for a small distance before adding to lengthy travels.

Know Your Body

Be aware of what your body can do and the conditions work best with it. For me, I know that cold weather is my foe and I prepare for it. I maintain several levels of clothing to keep me warm. If walking is hard for you, then avoid trips that require a lot of foot action. A good alternative may be to use a cab, but know that will make the trip more costly.

Time Out

Designate a resting time while taking trips. This may be mean going to one attraction and taking a rest period before going to the next. The most important element here is to have your body relax and not bring on a flare. Not all people need sleep, some do well with just sitting for twenty minutes or so. Do what works best for you.

Be Prepared

Do not leave home without your standby relief aids. This means over the counter and/or prescription pain medications. I, often use a relaxer to help my muscles not get tight. Depending on your symptoms, other products may include: heating pad, ice pack, pain patches, foot warmers, etc.

Good Luck! Contact your doctor’s office for information specific to you. Optimism and knowing your body are the preparation for travel. I am not a health professional and my advice should not be regarded as such.

                                                        

     

Purpose of This Blog

       This blog is to help those suffering from Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain or Chronic Fatigue some local Indianapolis-area resources to help them live better lives. Searching around for information on the internet can be tiring and confusing; I want to alleviate some of that. I have found a lot of resources, articles and data and want to share it with others.

I am not a doctor or work in the medical field, so please talk to your doctor regarding any concerns.