Halsey Shares Chronic Illness Hack Those With Pelvic Pain Might Recognize
Halsey, a platinum-selling singer who first broke into the music scene as a featured artist on The Chainsmokers’ “Closer,” revealed a technique for dealing with pelvic pain that might look familiar to those with chronic illnesses.
“Making heating pads sexy since 2014,” Halsey wrote alongside a photo of herself holding up her shirt to reveal a heating pad. “As many of you guys know, I live with #endometriosis. It can be really hard. Sometimes I feel like I can barely stand. But on nights like tonight, I slap on a heating pad and take some medicine and go hustle it out.”
Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found outside the uterus, on parts of the body like the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or even the bladder or bowel. The painful condition affects an estimated 176 million women worldwide and one in 10 women in the U.S. Endometriosis can only be diagnosed through pathology samples taken during surgery and currently, there is no cure.
This isn’t the first time Halsey has spoken out about her endometriosis — in January, she posted a photo of herself in the hospital before surgery, explaining, “OK HONESTLY I’m in total agony right now (and I’m going to be in excruciating pain for a while cause I had quite the cocktail of procedures today). But in my recovery I am thinking of all of you and how you give me the strength and stamina to power through and prosper.”
Anyone who deals with chronic pain likely has their own “hacks” they use to get through the bad pain days, whether it’s heating pads or medication or a favorite tea. We asked our Mighty community what strategies they use when their chronic pain is flaring. Here’s what they told us. Let us know what your “hacks” are in the comments below.
1. “Finding a funny/interesting show on Netflix and binge watch. Maybe even a show I’ve watched before, because knowing the outcome of the show actually makes my anxiety lower.”
2. “When I have to work, I count on peppermint oil in my ice water, music, and moving as much as possible. At home, sleep and Epsom salt baths.”
3. “I remind myself of those I love. I don’t always want to fight for myself but I will always fight for them, even when we fight.”
4. “I have lots of special boutique teas and if I’m having a really rough day I’ll have a pot of yummy tea in my (flare) favorite teacup. It’s only used on bad days.”
5. “Say no to the things you don’t need to do and take a nap instead.”
6. “Music, cannabis, my dog, breaks, stretching, letting myself cry.”
7. “Boiling hot water bottles.”
8. “Heating pad, ice, tight knee highs for my legs, TENS unit, Two Old Goats for my shoulders — an essential oil, Facebook games, the list goes on…”
9. “I tickle my own arm; it’s relaxing and distracting. My husband rubs my feet at night. I rely heavily on my essential oils! Valor, copaiba, frankincense and peppermint are my top picks.”
10. “I play games on my phone! I’m currently playing Emoji Blitz and it helps take my mind off of the pain.”
11. “After I have taken meds I do meditation. There are apps you can look for that are specific guided meditation for pain.”
12. “Music music music… it changes your mood and soothes your soul.”
13. “Video games. The pace is usually pretty fast so you don’t have to focus on one thing for too long and it really stimulates and distracts your mind.”
14. “A really lovely hot bath to soothe my aches and pains, and if it’s a Lush bath bomb then I get made happy by all the smells and colors. We have a really big bath as well so getting in and out isn’t too hard — lots of room for some flailing.”
15. “Some days if I have no other options I will stop where I am at and lie flat on the ground with my knees up — it helps easy my neck, shoulder and jaw pain as well as my hip pain. Frequent light stretching and massaging my tight muscles. Posture checks. Muscle clenching checks.”
Erin is the former senior editor and chronic illness editor of The Mighty. She joined The Mighty in 2015 and previously worked at Inside Weddings magazine, Mic, and The Huffington Post. She was also the features editor at The California Aggie, UC Davis' student newspaper. She is honored to be a part of the Mighty community!
erin-migdol