Aug 01 2024 49 mins
Agency is crucial as a chronic pain patient - especially when you feel most helpless and scared with pain at its worst. Flares are always difficult to navigate, but they don't have to make you feel so helpless and reactive. What are the phases of a flare, and how can you manage each one? This episode is a critical resource to learn how to identify and sooner recognize your own flare patterns so you end up in 'the hole' less, and can navigate your way out more effectively when it does happen.
As a provider, how can you better explain flares and give patients a prevention strategy so they are empowered to impact all the aspects they can control, and more effectively treat the pieces you can help with when they are most vulnerable? Listen to this episode for more tools and a structure you can implement right away.
Resources:
https://www.instagram.com/iniyhpodcast/
Timestamps:
00:00 Official Intro
00:17 Intro - Flare Management
02:38 Reasons for this episode
03:55 Justine's Most Recent Flare
05:34 Breaking Down the 5 phases
05:43 1st Phase - Trigger or Stressor
09:27 2nd Phase - Loss of Routine
12:05 3rd Phase - Worsening Pain
15:03 4th Phase - The Hole
17:55 5th Phase - Digging Yourself Out
19:35 Phase 1 Strategies
23:34 Phase 2 Strategies
25:30 Phase 3 Strategies
30:43 Why not Opioids?
32:10 Communicating with your provider
34:44 Phase 4 Strategies
38:27 Phase 5 Strategies - The Reach Out
43:08 Pain Flares have a Cycle
46:58 WrapUp
48:54 Disclaimer