HOW TO SURVIVE WITH SPD OVER THE WINTER PERIOD:
HOW TO SURVIVE WITH SPD OVER THE WINTER PERIOD:
Here are a few things you can do to help you stay well and as pain free as possible this Christmas Period:
Avoid going out if your SPD is very severe and if the weather is very poor,the cold can make your SPD much worse so you must stay warm.
Shop online, or get a relative to shop for things you need for you.
We understand that being stuck at home can make you feel trapped and can affect your self esteem, so we suggest that you invite people over to you and invite people who will understand and can help you be happy and remain positive about the SPD and the situation you are in.
It does not matter the severity of the SPD or whether or not you are pregnant with SPD or have had your baby and still have your SPD, SPD at any level, in any situation causes pain, makes you uncomfortable, and can affect your mobility and can make you feel low or affect your confidence.
You are not alone and the support group is a great place to start if you start feeling alone, get yourself online and talk to other sufferers, the links at the top of this page and is a few clicks away and for facebook users. Apologies if you are not on facebook, and in this circumstance you could create an account and meet more SPD sufferers or could click on the other links and boost your confidence yourself by reading the "but you don't look sick" article also known as the "spoon theory" which is around the last of the links.
Keep your pain at bay by being in touch with you GP, telephone consultations are usually the best for matters the Dr. would not come out for and for when you really cannot get to see the Dr.
Make sure you have the right pain relief for you and if it is not working phone that Dr!
You can keep warm by wearing jumpers, and comfortable and loose jogging bottoms if the jeans and other trousers are causing more pain around your pelvic area.
Hot water bottles on the front of your pelvis where your symphysis pubis bone is, around the middle of the female 'V' shape at the front of your pelvis. This will feel quite tender when it is at it's worst so you could try massaging it if it helps, if it causes more pain then cease massaging as you do not want to suffer more, if i am honest massaging has helped me in the past but i cannot confirm it will be suitable for everyone.
Hot water bottles in your bed before going to bed is a good idea.
Some SPD sufferers will find they have pain around the back of their pelvis, so massage and hot water bottles can both still be just as applicable to the lower back/back of the pelvis.
There are also various pain management techniques to help deal with pain, breathing, distraction, relaxation, imagination and setting goals/planning, to keep you busy. So to start if you don't know any pain management techniques at all you can always try searching the internet to find a range of things you can try (this comes with a safety and common sense rule, if it looks like it will hurt do not try it as it is most likely not a pain relief technique and you know what will or could work for you so make sure you search trusted sites) or to start you off you can try breathing.
Now i will be back to add some more tips to this blog section, but for now I will help you through your breathing and relaxation.
(Read through this once then do the small planning for yourself before you do this yourself, as you need to plan an alternative imaginative place if your scared of heights, and plan up to 5 sentences of positive things about yourself)
Make sure you are in a comfortable position, if not pregnant on your back is the best, if pregnant with SPD comfortably on your side with a pillow between your knees in a symmetrical position, make sure you are as comfy as you can be with your pain.
Make sure phones are off, you wont be disturbed and that you have atleast an hour of time to yourself before you try this exercise, you can have a phone switched on and on silent if your pregnant and would need to contact someone if labour stars, be sensible but dont have a phone next to you if you don't need to, your getting away from your pain and stress for merely a moment.
Now, start breathing slowly, in through your nose and out through your mouth, deep breaths.
Take a long breath in, hold for 3 seconds and then a long breath out, and continue this throughout this exercise.
Now you are relaxing and comfortable and have control over your breathing, i would then want you to think about a place of your choice, being laid on a beach with blue skies above, nice and warm, a countryside, floating over the sea, whichever as long as you imagine yourself warm and alone.
Keep breathing, and imagining this lovely place your at, then imagine yourself getting lighter and lighter, as if your starting to float, and your lifing up in your imagined place and floating up toward the sky, still breathing in and out and holding, deep breaths.
And for the next few minutes or for as long as your enjoying it imagine yourself as if you were a feather, floating over gorgeous villages or scenery, looking down, comfortable and warm, and after you have floated a while imagine yourself landing slowly down onto a gorgeous comfy bed.
Then - mmmhmmm your not done yet *winks* start telling yourself positive things!
These will be 3-5 sentences you conjure up yourself, or could use the following ones to help you:
I am strong and confident.
I am beautiful / handsome.
I am intelligent.
I am happy.
I am a Mam / Dad.
I am tall / short.
I have beautiful _________.
I can be _____________.
I have ______________ /willpower/ strength/courage/support/family/husband/wife etc...
After this you need to open your eyes, then make sure you sit up slowly, and then stand slowly as long as you are not dizzy, or you could have a nap?
You can also try positive thinking exercises like:
Writing 10 of these: I wills and I cans, then linking them to i have's.
(best to do this in a note book, these on the left page and the i haves on the right)
Ok so you write I can something and underneath, i will that same something.
I can cope,
I will cope and do 10 of these so 20 lines.
Afterwards on the right page, you write 10 i haves. and you have to write these to link to your wills and cans, for example the cope one could link to i have strength or support or willpower, these sorts of words. And you can always choose to read some of these in your head during the exercise.
Feeling happier = feeling better as stress can make pain worse.
These exercises have worked for me personally and therefore hopefully work for you, I know the relaxation and breathing can make you feel a bit silly at first but I emphasise that you really take it seriously and give it ago as all women know breathing the same is advised for labour pains and these sorts of exercises have been used for a very long time.
PLEASE NOTE:
The ideas supplied are personal ideas that I have conjured up myself for positive exercises and the relaxation exercise is used generally but the idea used within including the example floating exercise and the positive statements used are all my ideas and are not allowed to be distributed without my written consent. However I have publicly put these in my blog for the sole use of pain relief and positive thinking for SPD sufferers and/or disabled people's use only.
These Ideas are ©2010 and you can find me on the support group if you needed to contact me.
Have more tips to add will be back here...
more to come...
Here are a few things you can do to help you stay well and as pain free as possible this Christmas Period:
Avoid going out if your SPD is very severe and if the weather is very poor,the cold can make your SPD much worse so you must stay warm.
Shop online, or get a relative to shop for things you need for you.
We understand that being stuck at home can make you feel trapped and can affect your self esteem, so we suggest that you invite people over to you and invite people who will understand and can help you be happy and remain positive about the SPD and the situation you are in.
It does not matter the severity of the SPD or whether or not you are pregnant with SPD or have had your baby and still have your SPD, SPD at any level, in any situation causes pain, makes you uncomfortable, and can affect your mobility and can make you feel low or affect your confidence.
You are not alone and the support group is a great place to start if you start feeling alone, get yourself online and talk to other sufferers, the links at the top of this page and is a few clicks away and for facebook users. Apologies if you are not on facebook, and in this circumstance you could create an account and meet more SPD sufferers or could click on the other links and boost your confidence yourself by reading the "but you don't look sick" article also known as the "spoon theory" which is around the last of the links.
Keep your pain at bay by being in touch with you GP, telephone consultations are usually the best for matters the Dr. would not come out for and for when you really cannot get to see the Dr.
Make sure you have the right pain relief for you and if it is not working phone that Dr!
You can keep warm by wearing jumpers, and comfortable and loose jogging bottoms if the jeans and other trousers are causing more pain around your pelvic area.
Hot water bottles on the front of your pelvis where your symphysis pubis bone is, around the middle of the female 'V' shape at the front of your pelvis. This will feel quite tender when it is at it's worst so you could try massaging it if it helps, if it causes more pain then cease massaging as you do not want to suffer more, if i am honest massaging has helped me in the past but i cannot confirm it will be suitable for everyone.
Hot water bottles in your bed before going to bed is a good idea.
Some SPD sufferers will find they have pain around the back of their pelvis, so massage and hot water bottles can both still be just as applicable to the lower back/back of the pelvis.
There are also various pain management techniques to help deal with pain, breathing, distraction, relaxation, imagination and setting goals/planning, to keep you busy. So to start if you don't know any pain management techniques at all you can always try searching the internet to find a range of things you can try (this comes with a safety and common sense rule, if it looks like it will hurt do not try it as it is most likely not a pain relief technique and you know what will or could work for you so make sure you search trusted sites) or to start you off you can try breathing.
Now i will be back to add some more tips to this blog section, but for now I will help you through your breathing and relaxation.
(Read through this once then do the small planning for yourself before you do this yourself, as you need to plan an alternative imaginative place if your scared of heights, and plan up to 5 sentences of positive things about yourself)
Make sure you are in a comfortable position, if not pregnant on your back is the best, if pregnant with SPD comfortably on your side with a pillow between your knees in a symmetrical position, make sure you are as comfy as you can be with your pain.
Make sure phones are off, you wont be disturbed and that you have atleast an hour of time to yourself before you try this exercise, you can have a phone switched on and on silent if your pregnant and would need to contact someone if labour stars, be sensible but dont have a phone next to you if you don't need to, your getting away from your pain and stress for merely a moment.
Now, start breathing slowly, in through your nose and out through your mouth, deep breaths.
Take a long breath in, hold for 3 seconds and then a long breath out, and continue this throughout this exercise.
Now you are relaxing and comfortable and have control over your breathing, i would then want you to think about a place of your choice, being laid on a beach with blue skies above, nice and warm, a countryside, floating over the sea, whichever as long as you imagine yourself warm and alone.
Keep breathing, and imagining this lovely place your at, then imagine yourself getting lighter and lighter, as if your starting to float, and your lifing up in your imagined place and floating up toward the sky, still breathing in and out and holding, deep breaths.
And for the next few minutes or for as long as your enjoying it imagine yourself as if you were a feather, floating over gorgeous villages or scenery, looking down, comfortable and warm, and after you have floated a while imagine yourself landing slowly down onto a gorgeous comfy bed.
Then - mmmhmmm your not done yet *winks* start telling yourself positive things!
These will be 3-5 sentences you conjure up yourself, or could use the following ones to help you:
I am strong and confident.
I am beautiful / handsome.
I am intelligent.
I am happy.
I am a Mam / Dad.
I am tall / short.
I have beautiful _________.
I can be _____________.
I have ______________ /willpower/ strength/courage/support/family/husband/wife etc...
After this you need to open your eyes, then make sure you sit up slowly, and then stand slowly as long as you are not dizzy, or you could have a nap?
You can also try positive thinking exercises like:
Writing 10 of these: I wills and I cans, then linking them to i have's.
(best to do this in a note book, these on the left page and the i haves on the right)
Ok so you write I can something and underneath, i will that same something.
I can cope,
I will cope and do 10 of these so 20 lines.
Afterwards on the right page, you write 10 i haves. and you have to write these to link to your wills and cans, for example the cope one could link to i have strength or support or willpower, these sorts of words. And you can always choose to read some of these in your head during the exercise.
Feeling happier = feeling better as stress can make pain worse.
These exercises have worked for me personally and therefore hopefully work for you, I know the relaxation and breathing can make you feel a bit silly at first but I emphasise that you really take it seriously and give it ago as all women know breathing the same is advised for labour pains and these sorts of exercises have been used for a very long time.
PLEASE NOTE:
The ideas supplied are personal ideas that I have conjured up myself for positive exercises and the relaxation exercise is used generally but the idea used within including the example floating exercise and the positive statements used are all my ideas and are not allowed to be distributed without my written consent. However I have publicly put these in my blog for the sole use of pain relief and positive thinking for SPD sufferers and/or disabled people's use only.
These Ideas are ©2010 and you can find me on the support group if you needed to contact me.
Have more tips to add will be back here...
more to come...
