I am a former infantry Marine that served in Iraq. As a 50 cal gunner I was engaged in a fire-fight when my vehicle took rounds from an anti-aircraft gun and my back was injured as a result.
I use kratom to improve my quality of living, not specifically for pain.
From my experience dealing with chronic pain is best done through the acceptance that pain may always be there. Various forms of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) such as Anger Management and Mind Over Mood have helped tremendously. I don't think I am alone in that when I am in pain I can have a short temper and an angry disposition. Also chronic pain can lead to a gloomy outlook and just poor mood overall. CBT helps me to gain the skills that help with these issues.
As for acceptance of the pain I found that Mindfulness Meditation, Guided Imagery Meditation and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) have made a huge difference. These forms of therapy are primarily regarding mental health. I have had lengthy stints of physical therapy and pain management through polytrauma and I have found CBT and ACT to be more helpful. I have drawn this conclusion: much of the pain we feel are like alarm sensors telling us something is wrong so that we can do something about it. However with many forms of chronic pain there is little that we can do to change this. Thus all we can do is learn to accept.
How I do go about alleviating chronic pain?
*Dry Needling with the physical therapist has been most beneficial for myself.
*H-wave For personal use I have an H-Wave machine. It's a pricing peice of machinery but the first time I tried it I just fell asleep as I had relief that I hadn't felt in years. Those suffering from chronic pain should certainly look into an H-Wave and real testimonials from users.
*Ice Packs are a constant companion and in my opinion should be the first line of defense. Reduction of swelling and dulling pain sensors cannot be understated.
Now for Kratom: How I use it
I use 1/2 teaspoon prior to most workouts. For most, myself included, Bali and White strains work best in this regard, lacking a sedative effect possibly having an energizing effect.
If I am looking for something to help me relax I opt for Green even some yellow strains.
Before bed I lean towards Red Vein strains.
If pain levels are really severe I take 1/2 tsp of kratom and half tablet of a prescription opioid medication. I take Curcumin daily and rarely do I ever use NSAIDs.
To be honest I have a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon that I don't even fill up all the way and I do not take more than this is one sitting. The emphasis for me it to gain the benefits while avoiding the "High" feeling. A slight uptick in mood is great but euphoria and a high is were things get risk for myself.
I typically try to avoid using kratom more than 2 times in a day and honestly if I'm do more than 3 doses I can be sure that I'm doing so out of stress and for emotional reasons. In my personal journey with counseling the goal is to accept negative emotion and not try to numb them. Same goes for a pain.
Kratom habituates so I rotate strains constantly which helps me avoid building a tolerance. I keep multiple "colors"/strains on hand and mix it up with each order.
General Info:
White Vein tends to be energizing, uplifting, and focusing.
Green Vein tends to be euphoric, bringing positivity and chattiness.
Red Vein tends to be mildly sedating, relaxing, and pleasant.
Red Veins cannot only have a sedative effect but tend to be stronger so most should use a lower dosage. Maeng Da strains have high alkaloid content and should be used with caution by new users.
I hadn't always stuck to the same dose and limited usage. Before CBT therapy I used Kratom throughout the day at larger doses with all sorts of enhanced strains. It has been a minimum of two years since this was the case.
.gif "IP Gear")
www.protectkratom.org
