Traveling With Chronic Pain
Have you avoided traveling out of fear of causing your body to have a pain flare up? Me too.
At the beginning of the year I was reflecting and setting some intentions. I decided that this year would be the year of experiences. Which also would mean the year of problem solving a flare up after said experience.
So I kicked off my year of experiences with a short plane ride to Bend, OR, to celebrate my nephew's 3rd birthday for the weekend. I knew it was going to be taxing as we flew there on Friday night and back Sunday at midnight, not ideal for a gal with fibromyalgia. But hey, it's the year of experiences. I went into the weekend wanting to try things a little differently to see if I could reduce the effects of the inevitable flare up. Here are my biggest takeaways.
Plan Ahead
Think about the week after your trip
Limit extra work if possible
Avoid social gatherings after work to increase rest time
Notice the patterns of your flare ups. Plan to rest on those days. For me, I typically flare up 2-3 days after a long weekend.
Meal planning
Schedule a grocery pick up for the day you get back or the day after you get back (if grocery pick up or delivery is not available near you, try getting groceries before you leave).
Have easy ready to go healthy meals for the following week so you do not have to use your energy making meals.
Prioritize taking care of your body
Prioritizing your body is key to reducing flare ups anywhere, but especially while traveling. You may not have access to your normal tools and routines, so doing what you can is key.
Honor your body's cues
Starting with the basics here. Are you cold? Put on a sweater. Hot? Take off your sweater. Thirsty? Drink some water. Need to go to the bathroom, do it! Take a seated break when feeling worn out. When traveling we often put off taking care of our body’s cues for when it is more convenient.
Keep your routines as much as possible
This allows your body to know what is coming and know it will be taken care of. Do you shower in the morning? Do that! Have tea at night? Yes please! Go on a daily walk? Let’s go!
Prioritize sleep
Research shows that less sleep, disrupted sleep and poor sleep quality can lead to an increase in sensitivity to pain.
Utilize mobility aids
Maybe you use mobility aids every day, maybe you don’t. Utilizing the transport wheelchairs at the airport can be helpful especially when needing to conserve your energy to be able to enjoy the rest of your trip.
Stretch
Our bodies can become stiff from sitting too long, or sore from walk through the airport. Doing some simple stretches can do wonders. Check out this video for ideas.
Pack smart
You know what helps support you when you are experiencing pain or fatigue. Make sure to pack these items! Here are a few items that I never travel without in order to cope with pain and reduce a flare up.
Battery operated heating pad: I use my heating pad on the regular to help reduce pain. This one is battery operated so you can take on the go. I also have an extra battery and bring the charger to charge over night so I won’t be without when the pain hits.
Loop Engage Earplugs: I have found that too much sensory stimulation will cause a flare up. The Loop ear plugs have been a game changer. When I wear them I am able engage socially and have all the background noise reduced. This is especially helpful for me in the noisy airport and on the airplane.
Small backpack: Having a small backpack allows me to keep my necessary items close, but the small size keeps me from over packing and carrying too much weight. It also tucks nicely under the airplane seat allowing more room to stretch out my legs
Kindle: My kindle is a tool I use to distract myself from pain or fatigue and it's not as heavy as bringing a book!
There is no one size fits all solution to traveling with chronic pain. It takes trial and error to figure out what works for your body. Comment below with strategies that you have used to reduce pain while traveling.
Download the free Traveling with Chronic Pain Checklist below and try a few new strategies to see if you can reduce your chronic pain symptoms after traveling.
