As you are marking things off your holiday shopping list this year, personalized gifts show that you are offering a thoughtful gesture to friends and family. Personalizing a holiday gift doesn’t mean that you need to have the person’s name embroidered on the gift. Instead, look for items that show how much you know the person and uniquely support them.
One example is shopping for someone who is living with chronic pain. The daily pain can be excruciating, making it hard to keep up with things that are happening in life. You are likely shopping for a family member or friend you care about, and you would like to take their pain away. But, since you can’t alleviate the pain, consider giving them something that will make them feel more comfortable and relaxed.
In this gift guide, we offer suggestions for holiday gifts that are ideal for people with chronic pain. Instead of giving a frivolous gift that will end up in the back of a storage closet, help the person relieve or cope with their chronic pain through a unique gift. These gifts are both thoughtful and functional!
Here are a few ideas that help you see what people with chronic pain really value and desire:
Comforting Gifts for Chronic Pain
Certain gifts can reduce a person’s pain by helping them feel more relaxed or comfortable:
- Massage Tools: Handheld massage tools are great to target specific pain points in the body. Examples include therapeutic massage guns, foam rollers, or a full-body massage chair if you have a big budget.
- Heating Pads: Heat can be a great way to increase circulation and ease sore muscles. Make a homemade heating pad with fabric and rice inside, so your loved one can heat it up in the microwave when they need to relax. Or, an electric heating pad provides heat on demand, with different heat settings to accommodate individual preferences.
- Heated Blanket: Some people’s pain flares when they are exposed to cold weather. If your loved one lives in a snowy climate, then gift them a heated blanket to warm up on the coldest nights.
- Weighted Blanket: It might seem like a trendy gift since many people are talking about weighted blankets right now. But these unique blankets can help with a variety of sensory conditions (such as Autism or ADHD), as well as people with rheumatoid arthritis, chronic back pain, and more. Ideally, the blanket should be about 10% of the person’s body weight.
- Essential Oils: Certain aromatherapy blends can help with muscle tension or anxiety. Since people with chronic pain also experience depression and anxiety, essential oils can be a way to help them manage each day.
- Specialty Pillows: A good night’s sleep is essential for someone with chronic pain. Consider gifting them a specialty pillow, such as a full-body pillow, a memory foam pillow, or a wedge pillow that goes between the legs.
- Light Therapy: Some people find that near-infrared light therapy helps reduce many types of pain. You can find small handheld right light therapy devices with multiple wavelengths of light that can reduce inflammation.
Gifts You Can’t Fit in a Box
In addition to the physical gifts listed above, think outside the box to pick gifts that improve the person’s lifestyle without adding another item in the house. Here are a few ideas you might consider:
- Massage Certificate: Many people with chronic pain benefit from regular massage therapy services. Buy a gift certificate to a local massage therapy provider, so your loved one can book an appointment when they need it the most. If you are on a tight budget, then look for massage therapy schools in the area.
- Spa Day: If the person doesn’t prefer hands-on massage services, then a spa day is another option to consider. Find a local spa that offers hot tubs, cold therapy, and a relaxing environment. It can be meditative and stress-relieving to step away from the stresses of daily living.
- Home Cleaning Services: Did you know that regular tasks such as vacuuming and cleaning the kitchen can cause symptoms to flare for someone living with chronic pain? One option to alleviate the person’s pain is paying for home cleaning services. They can relax while a professional cleaning team does all the hard work.
- Yoga Membership: Yoga is an excellent form of exercise for people with chronic health conditions. This gentle form of movement supports flexibility, pain relief, and more. However, yoga classes can be expensive, so you might consider gifting a yoga membership at a nearby studio. An alternative option is to pay for an online yoga subscription where the person can access digital classes to follow at home.
- Pain Specialist Services: People with chronic pain are often on a tight budget – they don’t have extra money to spend on alternative therapies. If your loved one isn’t succeeding with general medical care, then gift them a gift they will love: money to pay for pain management services. This gift is an investment since pain management can result in a month (or more!) of relief.
- Meal Services: If chronic pain makes it hard for the person to prepare meals, then a meal service might be another option. Look at all-in-one home delivery meals, which ship the fresh ingredients to the person’s doorstep – they simply need to assemble and heat up the meal. Or, another option is to gift a Door Dash or Uber Eats gift card so they can order a meal when they need a hot dinner delivered.
Pain Management During the Holiday Season
Back pain and other chronic health conditions aren’t only tricky during the holiday season, but these symptoms affect a person’s life throughout the year. At Texas Partners Healthcare Group, we offer pain management specialists that are ready to help you find the personalized answers to your pain management. If you would like to learn more, contact us to schedule a consultation. We are here to help!
