3 Devices That Help Relieve My Chronic Pain

On Monday night, I was relaxing on the couch watching “Law and Order: SVU” with my English Bulldog, J.Z., when I realized I forgot to take my vitamin D… again. That’s the second time this week that I’ve messed my meds/vitamin routine up.

I let out a frustrated grunt and J.Z. looks at me like, “What happened? How can I help? Can I eat it?”

It had been an exhausting day and realizing I dropped the ball (twice) makes me feel bummed out. But as I thought about all of the pills I take in one day, I decided to cut myself a break. So many pills! It’s a miracle that I keep my routine straight as much as I do.

Then, I slipped into a daydream where I pressed an “Easy Button” and all of my conditions were healed.

As I came back to reality, I looked down to my heating pad and thought it kind of resembled an easy button. And this inspired me to share some gratitude for the gadgets that give me relief from chronic pain.

Here are my must-have technological devices:

1. Quell Relief — Sleep is one of the biggest and first things affected by my chronic pain and fibromyalgia. Painsomnia is a very real struggle day in and day out.

I’ve compared the effects of this to being asked to operate heavy machinery after staying awake for three days straight. It’s disorienting and can rob me of my confidence and focus, so finding a drug-free way to combat this was always high on my list.

It took a few days of getting used to wearing the Quell Relief device on my calf for hours at a time. A few therapy sessions on the right setting, and I could feel the pulses begin to work. Through Bluetooth, I control the settings from my smartphone and have been able to track my sleep, therapy, and pain levels. This device has completely changed my sleep routine and for the most part, painsomnia is a thing of the past.

2. Compression Boots — The second my feet hit the floor every morning, I’m reminded of my condition. There is a lot of leg and foot pain that comes with fibromyalgia. My feet feel like they’ve been put between two cement blocks, hit with a hammer and lit on fire. Next, comes the pain in my calves and then up to my knees… it’s an unbearable way to start every day.

For my birthday a few years ago, my husband purchased a pair of compression boots. I use them every night for 30 minutes and they have been “feet” changing! Not only do they give my legs and feet relief but they’re relaxing for my entire body. Think of them like a gentle “hug” for your bottom half.

3. Arthritis Gloves — Since the very early stages of my diagnosis, my hand pain has been a major problem. I have written about them looking like lobster claws and how sometimes holding my toothbrush feels like climbing Mount Everest.

One of my closest friends came to the rescue when she found these arthritis gloves. I wear them for 20 minutes at a time, as often as I need to. On good days, one to two times a day and on bad days way more. There are no side effects and my pinchers get some relief.

The medical field has made massive advancements with technology as its backbone. With half of all adults in the U.S. having some type of chronic illness, some companies are working to figure out new ways to treat patients without the use of a pill.

It’s no “Easy Button,” but this does means more relief and less pills seem to be on the horizon for me. Maybe then, J.Z. and I can pay better attention and figure out how Benson knew the guy at the deli was the real murderer.

Follow me on Instagram @pujarios and on Facebook @HPostFibroGirl.

This blog was originally published on The Huffington Post.

We want to hear your story. Become a Mighty contributor here.