Sometimes it’s little things done often that provide chronic pain relief. Here are five easy and reliable suggestions to help you feel better today.

1) Keep moving. Even random movements will move toxic fluids and increase blood and lymph flow. It may be hard to get up and going, but once you do, your energy level will improve. The best exercise for moving lymph is bouncing gently on a little trampoline called a “rebounder.”
2) Breathe deeply. The lungs are a huge source of elimination of waste gasses like carbon dioxide that can cause toxic symptoms. (Think about how a diver feels who gets the bends.) Deep breathing also reduces stress.
3) Reduce stress by whatever means suits your lifestyle. Mindfulness (MBSR, Jon Kabat-Zinn), a focusing rather than emptying style of meditation, is very effective. There are herbs that can help. Exercise of any kind done mindfully helps. Focus for several minutes on something positive or beautiful, something that makes you smile. Do something creative. Hug someone.
4) Drink another glass of water. A good guideline for how much clear water you need: Your weight divided by two equals the number of ounces you need per day. The body depends on water for all of its chemical reactions. Body fluids that are concentrated rather than diluted are unhealthy for many reasons.
5) Stretch gently for just a few seconds at a time. Watch how an animal does it. Stretching lengthens muscle to allow more freedom of movement. As it does so it pumps health-giving blood in and pain-causing wastes out.

These are some of the suggestions I give chronic pain patients in my Boston area Neuromuscular Therapy center.