Our Top Tips for Traveling with Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is a fact of everyday life for our family and traveling anywhere requires extra time and patience. After a number of international trips, we’ve come up with some tips that we believe could also help you plan as well.
Preparing for your trip
The biggest tip for smooth travel is to plan ahead. For some people this comes naturally, and for others this is more of a struggle. My natural tendency is to over-plan, because it helps me feel calm and prepared leading up to a situation with a lot of unknowns, like traveling. Creating a list can remove some of the anxiety and help you feel in control leading up to your trip, and also prevent any last-minute scrambling.
Consider Mobility Aids
Depending on your circumstances, this might be a no-brainer, or it might require careful thought. Travel consumes a lot of energy, especially for chronic pain patients. If you use a mobility aid in your daily life, you should absolutely travel with it. If you do not use a mobility aid in your daily life, consider whether using one for travel would make your life easier, or improve your ability to enjoy yourself when you get to your destination.
For me, traveling consistently increases nerve pain in my legs due to the amount of walking required to get to the gate, time spent standing in line, uncomfortable chairs, carrying more stuff than usual, etc. I do not use a mobility aid on a daily basis, so for years I would suck it up while traveling, and usually by the time I got to the gate, I was in so much pain I would have to sit and rest while Chris would go get a snack or water or whatever we needed.
The first time I ever requested wheelchair assistance at the airport was truly life-changing. I felt comfortable asking for it that first time because I had an upcoming surgery just two weeks after our trip, and I felt like I could justify needing it at that point in time. The fact of the matter is, travel is demanding if you have chronic pain. Even if you don’t feel like you deserve assistance because you don’t use a wheelchair full-time, consider what it would be like to arrive at your destination refreshed, NOT in screaming pain from overdoing it just to prove you can.
TSA Screening
Meds in original bottles
Carry on allowance for med supplies
Card/special screening for implanted device
Going through with a wheelchair
Refillable ice bag
Pain relief patches
On the Flight
Lumbar pillow
Keeping meds within reach
Water bottle/beverage
Compression socks
Getting up to stretch
At Your Destination
Heating pad
Pain relief patches
Controlled Substances
When traveling internationally, it’s a good idea check for restrictions on medications in your destination country. Some medications, though legal in your home country, might not be legal where you are going. Or they might be legal, but only when accompanied by a certificate issued by the destination country 317 days in advance plus your firstborn son (or any other seemingly arbitrary red tape process). If you’ve ever seen the show Locked up Abroad, you know what I’m talking about. Educate yourself before you go – remember, you are a guest in their country. It’s better to do a little planning ahead of time and be overprepared than to be surprised at your destination.
Conclusion
Chronic pain should NOT stop you from living the life that you want to life. With adequate planning you too can
