Painiac: The Podcast On Living Well Even When Life Hurts

When living with pain it can be a challenge to feel as productive as you once were. It can feel like you can't get anything done on your to do list. Everything, especially goals, can feel out of reach.

Even without including pain into the equation, in general, Goals can be so overwhelming as a concept, but it doesn't have to be like that. Listen in to learn more about the importance of how to be intentional about what kind of goals we set for ourselves.

The key isn't to create less goals, or less involved and ambitious goals. Instead, it's to create more intentional, inspired and manageable goals.

Today we're featuring a powerful painiac, Jennifer Lesea-Ames. Jen is a former triathlete and training coach, who lived an active life until congenital bilateral hip dysplasia caused her to be debilitated from pain. She's the editor of Onward: Navigating through Hip Dysplasia, Periacetabular Osteotomy Surgery and Beyond. And she now manages the website and online community The PAO Project, which provide resources for those live with hip dysplasia and hip pain. She also designs and sells inspiring affirmation jewelry.

Let's face it. Living with chronic pain or chronic illness isn't "sexy". Not only can living with pain make us feel uncomfortable in our daily lives, but especially in the bedroom and in our intimate relationships. Studies estimate that 75% of people living with chronic pain experience some form of emotional and sexual dissatisfaction, discomfort, or dysfunction. But it doesn't have to be this way. It's possible to have a satisfying sex life and healthy intimate relationships, even while living with pain. This week, Shelly talks with Kirsten Schultz of Chronic Sex. Together, they discuss common quality of life issues and challenges that painiacs face when it comes to cultivating and maintaining intimacy with ourselves and others. *This episode, while not graphic, does contain content that might not be suitable for young children.

Why is it so hard to take time for self-care? When living with pain, it can feel like all we do is think about how we want to feel better, but do we actually make caring for our bodies a priority? Unfortunately, self-care is often placed on the bottom of our to-do lists, which only results in an increase in pain. But it doesn't have to be so hard.

Join Shelly in this week's episode for a conversation about self-care and self-love with Sarah Steckler, a creative self-love coach. This episode will discuss why it can be a challenge to make time for self-care, and will provide practical and easy to manage tips for making self-care a constant in your daily routine.

Living with chronic pain is hard enough, but when you add the typical strains of travel like jet lag, uncomfortable seats, unpredictable accommodations, and general exhaustion, pain can increase and be difficult to manage. Whether traveling for work or for fun, it doesn't have to be so painful and worrisome and it doesn't have to be impossible, either!

Today we are talking about some easy tips you can do to help make your trip more manageable and enjoyable; all it takes is a little planning and preparation.

It's rare when you meet a person with contagious optimism, a bright, big spirit, and riveting talent, but musician and disability rights advocate, Gaelynn Lea, is one of these rare and inspiring souls. Gaelynn Lea was recently named the winner of NPR's Tiny Desk Contest. She has been playing violin for over twenty years. Gaelynn also regularly speaks publicly about disability, overcoming challenges, and the joy of music. She lives with a congenital disability called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or commonly known as Brittle Bones Disease. In recent years, she has used her music as a platform to advocate for people with disabilities and to promote positive social change. Gaelynn believes society must make accessibility a priority so people with disabilities can participate fully in their communities and use their talents and gifts without discrimination.

Why is asking for help so hard? In this week's episode, Shelly talks about the reality of what it means when we don't ask for help when we really need it. She'll help you determine how to effectively reach out and get the help you need to make living with chronic pain or illness more manageable.

Join Shelly in a conversation with Mindfulness­based Stress Reduction (MBSR) facilitator and fellow painiac Cecily McGaw. M BSR and its curriculum integrates both seated and walking meditation, gentle movement, and simple body­awareness practices. T he MBSR program started in the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1979 and is now offered in hundreds of hospitals and clinics around the world. MBSR is an inspiring tool for pain management because it emphasizes the need for a patient, practitioner partnership in healthcare. This approach allows the patient to tap into their own deepest inner resources for learning, growing, healing, and transformation, which ultimately can significantly empower people living with pain. Mindfulness has a hugely powerful impact on pain reduction. Researchers have found that mindfulness meditation reduces pain by activating the orbital frontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex, and these brain areas are associated with the self­-control of pain and mindfulness also helps to deactivate the thalamus, which is considered a filter, it determines which sensory information is sent to the higher centers of the brain. These new studies are showing that pain relief is actually going beyond the placebo effect. And because of this research we are now able to do imaging of the brain and we can actually see and track how the brain is changing as a result of these practices. Mindfulness can reduce pain levels in daily life and help you feel better equipped at handling flare­ups, challenging days, and difficult emotions that arise while living with pain, so that you can feel more like yourself and less like a patient.

Although Shelly Jackson is a certified professional coach, she is not providing medical advice. The pain management information on Painiac the Podcast for Mindful Pain Management is provided by Peaceful Body Coaching solely for informational purposes as a public service to promote wellness, and to support people living with chronic pain. It is not meant to provide medical advice tailored to you in any way. It does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to be a substitute for proper medical care provided by a physician or other licensed healthcare practitioner. Shelly Jackson, Peaceful Body Coaching, and the guests on Painiac assume no responsibility for any circumstances arising out of the use, misuse, interpretation or application of any information shared on Painiac the Podcast for Mindful Pain Management. Always consult with your doctor or healthcare practitioner for appropriate examinations, treatment, testing, and care recommendations. Do not rely on information on this site as a tool for self-diagnosis. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911 Theme music provided by www.bensound.com