5 years ago i slipped on a marble floor, crushed my wrist, broke my arm and shoulder,
the pain is constant, it's throbbing, i feel like my fingers are swollen, but they aren't, the pain is in all 3 areas that were injured, wrist, arm, and shoulder. i take ms contin 60 q 12 hours for pain and 15 mg oxcodone instant release 1 or 2 q 4 hours for break through pain. i notice when the pain is bad my blood pressure goes up and i find myself holding my breath. there is no sleeping through the night, i wake up ever hour and i finally just get up at 4 a.m. but then i'm exhausted by 12 noon. i've gone from being a totally active person to not being able to make plans for anything because i never know if i'm going to make it out the door because the pain is so bad that i end up being depressed and can't consentrate. i go to aquatic therapy, take medication, i meditate, i see a therapist to deal with the pain, and i see my doctor 1 time a month.
I don't think it's unusual for blood pressure to go up when pain levels go up because pain increases stress, which in turn can cause blood pressure to rise. And I know it's not unsusual to hold your breath when you're in pain. I think we all do it – it's a natural reaction. I think subconsiously we think if we hold our breath, the pain will stop. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Holding our breath can actually make our pain worse. Here's an article that can help you learn how to improve your breathing: The Importance of Breathing Properly
I can also really relate to your frustration with not being able to make plans to go out. I, too, was a super active person and now I rarely go out. I do try to force myself to go out occasionally, though, because I know I need that face-to-face interaction with people. It's easy to become depressed when we're isolated.
Have you talked with your doctor about medication to help you sleep? As I'm sure you know, getting a good night's sleep is so important for your body to restore and regenerate itself.
The other things you're doing, like aquatic therapy and meditation, are very good. You might want to look into some other therapy options like massage therapy, acupuncture, yoga or biofeedback.
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