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Although it almost goes without saying, you should avoid any physical activities or duties at work that worsen (or are the source of) your chronic pain. If you find that work is exacerbating your pain, speak to your boss about alternate duties you could take on, or look into any disability insurance that you may be eligible for if you need to take time off to recover (or if you are no longer able to continue in a certain line of work). For instance, if you have a back injury, you should avoid activities that involve heavy lifting (as well as avoiding positions that trigger your back pain, such as sitting or standing for long periods of time). If you have an injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome, you should avoid activities such as typing and ongoing computer use that may worsen your symptoms, if at all possible. If you are struggling getting around your home (such as climbing the stairs, getting in the shower, or using the toilet) due to chronic pain, you may benefit from modifications to your home that can make these day-to-day tasks easier in light of your pain-related disability. Occupational therapists (OTs) are specifically trained to make modifications to your home environment to optimize the ease with which you can perform day-to-day tasks. Your family doctor can provide you with a referral to see an occupational therapist. Having a formal referral may allow you to receive insurance coverage for OT services. You can also look up occupational therapists in your area and arrange to see one privately. However, seeing one privately (without a physician's referral) is unlikely to qualify you for coverage. Depending upon the underlying reason for your chronic pain, surgery may be very helpful in alleviating or reducing your pain. It may diminish your reliance on pain medications, both OTC and prescription, and it may help you to regain function that you did not have previously. Speak to your doctor to see if surgery is an option for you. If the source of your pain is a specific area of your body such as knee pain or shoulder pain you may be eligible for arthroscopic joint surgery to "debride" (clean out) the joint and to hopefully reduce the abnormality that was causing the pain. If you have more generalized chronic pain, a neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon experienced in conducting surgery for chronic pain may be able to help you.
Avoid activities or work duties that exacerbate your pain. Consult an occupational therapist to modify your home environment and thus reduce triggers of your pain. Consider surgery to resolve the underlying issue.