Flare-Up First Aid Kit

For those days when pain flares and panic follows.

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🔹 Purpose: To help patients respond to flare-ups with clarity, calm, and agency—rather than fear, frustration, or shutdown.

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🔹 Why This Matters: When pain flares, patients often default to catastrophic thinking or over-restriction. This tool gives them a plan—a nervous system-centered toolkit they can rely on to self-regulate and ride it out.

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🌀 Step 1: Pause + Breathe

“First, remind yourself: this is temporary.”

▫️ Take 3 deep, slow breaths

▫️ Place your hand on your chest or belly

▫️ Say: “My body is reacting, not breaking.”

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🌀 Step 2: Check the Triggers

(What might’ve contributed?)

▫️ Poor sleep

▫️ Increased stress

▫️ Overexertion

▫️ Emotional overwhelm

▫️ A new movement or load

▫️ Unknown—but that’s okay

Flare-ups don’t mean you failed. They’re part of the recalibration process.

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🌀 Step 3: Choose a First Aid Action

(Pick 1–2 that feel grounding)

▫️ Do a calming movement (e.g., walking, rocking, stretching)

▫️ Use a warm compress or sensory tool

▫️ Journal or voice-note how you’re feeling

▫️ Practice a safety phrase:

“I’ve felt this before. It passed before. It will pass again.”

▫️ Step outside or change environments

▫️ Talk to someone who gets it

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🌀 Step 4: Reflect After

“What helped? What didn’t? What did I learn?”

▫️ “I moved through it without spiraling.”

▫️ “Changing my posture helped.”

▫️ “Next time I’ll start with breathing sooner.”

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✅ Optional Add-On:

Build Your Own First Aid Kit:

🟠 A playlist, a quote, a calming scent, a gentle movement routine.

🟠 Make it yours. Keep it close.

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🧠 Closing Thought:

Every flare-up is a chance to practice—not perfection, but presence. With the right tools and mindset, even the toughest moments can become reminders that your body is adaptable, your system is learning, and you’re not at the mercy of pain—you’re in relationship with it.

This resource is part of The Wondering Clinician Toolkit. It’s not medical advice—just a tool to support learning, reflection, and healing. Always consult your clinician when needed.