Stress is a huge factor in my pain and in breakthrough pain.

A couple of things that help me is when I know I'm highly stressed, I will do (as much as I can throughout the day) progressive muscle relaxtion. It causes me to focus on the whole of the body while physically working to relax all other parts. That said, I can't do the facial part of this exercise but as a whole it really helps me.

When I've finished the relaxation, I try to go to a "place of relaxation" within my mind. I can't always do that if the pain is high, but if it's not it seems to help keep it from peaking. My "mental relaxation place" is a harbor on the eastern coast. At times I'm on a sail boat, others I'm on the dock, and imagine the chill in the air combined with the chill of the water spray then the warm sun mixing with that giving the body a "warm tingle". Another place that I go is back to the same beach in Hawaii that was near where I lived and imagine the sunset again, the lava rocks rough on my feet, etc. By doing these, I'm concentrating on the good bodily sentsations that I'm imagining. I think another word for what I do is called "imagery" and I've just recently read that it's a great tool for pain and even healing. I never knew that when I was doing it though.

(((((( ellie )))))))

KD