Health News Blog. Lots of resources and information

Relaxation techniques are now used extensively for the control of chronic pain. Many women with endometriosis coupled with chronic pain have forgotten how to relax. It is not a new skill but one that needs to be re-learnt. It will take time and practice, but once mastered it will not only give relief from pain but will also offer a general improvement in your total well-being.

Pain is a vicious cycle. It causes fear, tension, stress and anxiety which leads to muscles tightening, which in turn aggravates the pain. An increase in blood pressure and heart rate may also occur. More energy is used up when a woman is anxious and tense and this may lead to feeling drained and exhausted.

If the cycle of pain, tension, more pain and exhaustion can be broken, then it should eventually result in a reduction of pain.

Most people develop tension throughout their lives as a reaction to some type of stress. You need to learn how to release your tension and develop the ability to relax. There are several ways of developing relaxation skills. Here are two examples of relaxation techniques that you may like to practice.

Controlled breathing

This is one of the oldest and simplest relaxation techniques. With this method you can relax tense muscles, slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.

Choose an area where you will be alone and undisturbed for about half an hour. Find a spot where you can sit or lie in a well supported, comfortable position.

Close your eyes and try to relax your body. Now take a breath slowly and deeply through your nose and out through your partly-closed lips. Concentrate on the rhythm of breathing in and out and feel your tension begin to melt away. Try to maintain this slow, deep, rhythmic breathing for fifteen minutes. It is recommended that this breathing technique be performed daily to gain maximum relief.

Progressive muscle relaxation

If your muscles are tense and tight as a direct consequence of your pain then muscle relaxation can be helpful.

When practicing muscle relaxation you should again choose an area where you will be undisturbed for about twenty minutes.

Start by taking slow deep breaths and then concentrate on curling up your toes and tightening them as hard as you can. Maintain this tension and tightness in your toes and feet for about ten seconds. Then relax the feet completely and you will notice how the toes uncurl and your feet become heavy. Feel the contrast between when your muscles are tense and when they are relaxed.

Gradually move up your body, systematically tensing and relaxing the muscles of your legs, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, jaw and face.

As you continue to work through this regime you will again notice the contrast between muscle tension and relaxation; with practice you will be able to relax your muscles when they tighten in response to pain.

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Home-made Vegetable Stock (Cleansing Broth)

4 tomatoes

2 potatoes

1/4 small cabbage

2 sticks celery

1 litre water

2 onions

2 carrots

4 spinach leaves

Combine all of the ingredients with skin still on and simmer for one hour. Strain, discarding the vegetables. Store vegetable stock in a glass jar, in the refrigerator.

Salt Substitute

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon ground mace

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried sage

Mix all of the ingredients together.

Yogurt Cheese

100 ml of low-fat yogurt

Line a bowl with muslin cloth. Fill the cloth with yogurt and tie the cloth in a bundle. Suspend the bundle over a sink or bowl for 5 to 6 hours, or until the whey has drained completely. Store and cool.

Vitality Sandwiches for a Snack

Here is a selection of my favourite sandwich fillings. Simply fill two slices of rye bread or pita bread with any of the following combinations. The sandwiches are great with a salad or can be eaten on their own.

• 120 grams cottage cheese with a large handful of alfalfa sprouts.

• 120 grams hummus and a large handful of alfalfa sprouts, together with some refreshing

cucumber slices.

• 1/4 packet of cooked tofu with lettuce, sprouts and grated carrot.

• 1 sliced tomato and a large handful of watercress.

• 50 grams canned salmon or tuna in brine, cucumber slices and a large handful of watercress.

• 120 grams of cottage cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, rocket leaves

• 1/4 packet of cooked tofu, watercress, black sesame seeds

• 1 hard-boiled egg with watercress, tomato and lettuce.

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