FLARE MANAGEMENT PLAN :

There will be times that you will "overdo". You may have misjudged how much you can do or became frustrated with your limits and decided to push ahead and you may end up with a flare-up. Learning how your body reacts to pain helps reduce the threat of pain and reduced threat decreases all of your protective systems. Are you a No pain no gain person? Although some discomfort may be felt when exercising stiff muscles and joints, pushing too far through pain barriers can accelerate a fear and danger response from your system. Are you the Let pain be your guide person? Pain with an acute injury may help us protect ourselves from further injury, However, with chronic pain (you have pain all of the time), letting pain be your guide usually means you are giving in to it allowing it to control you and continues to make you feel fearful of it. Are you...going to understand pain so that you don't fear it? This will lead you in the direction of improving your physical capacity and reduce pain. Make a list of things you can do to cope with pain during a flare-up: Don't panic. Use RICE : Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation if you have any swelling. Use heat or take a warm bath, if you don't have swelling. Use medications as prescribed or directed. Use relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation or visualizations. Call a family member or friend for support. Keep phone handy. My Purple Toolkit : Keep your toolkit in a convenient place. What's in your comfort kit? HEAT: a.) Electric heating pad. b.) Rice bag that you can heat in the microwave. c.) Bath with Epsom salts. CLOTHING: a.) Soft cotton pajamas, baggy joggers, anything without seams or labels that might irritate sensitive skin. MEDS: Keep a small basket with essentials: regular pain meds, any prescription meds and any topical creams-Icy Hot: No mess Roll On with 4% Lidocaine. or patches that help. Keep a water bottle nearby. DISTRACTIONS : a.) Books or audio books for when your eyes are tired or head hurts too much to read. b.)Music that relaxes you. COMFORT ITEMS : a.)Your favorite soft blanket. b.) A good pillow setup, so you can prop yourself up comfortably. c.) Lip balm, hand cream and tissues. d.) Aromatherapy- lavender spray or some essential oils. Organization is key to have a good comfort tool kit. There's no point having your comfort items if you can't find them when you need them. ADAPTING YOUR KIT- Your comfort tool kit will change as you learn what works best for you. What helps during Winter flares might be different from what you need in the Summer. What works for pain-heavy flares might be different than fatigue-dominant ones. Pay attention to what actually helps and what just seems like a good idea. HAVING EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR A FLARE : means you can focus on resting and recovering rather than scrambling around trying to gather what you need. The best kit is the one that works for you. Start with the basics-heat, soft clothes, easy food, and whatever brings you comfort- and build it from there.