This week, YUYU has an account from chronic illness warrior, wellbeing coach and blogger Katie May about how her YUYU Bottle has helped with managing her chronic pain

Katie's Pure Cotton White Waffle YUYU Bottle

Chronic pain is the bane of any person living with a chronic illness. A study in 2016 showed that around 43% of people in the UK have experienced Chronic Pain at some point in their life. That is, chronic pain lasting three months or longer. Pre bag life, I used to experience really bad stomach/abdomen pain due to my ulcerative colitis. Post stoma surgery, I sometimes have to deal with nerve damage around my surgical sites. Currently, I experience a lot of back and joint pain (and still in the process of being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia) and the pain can last from hours to, during flare-ups, days. I’m not the best with pain medication and whilst I do sometimes reach for the paracetamol (especially before bed), I do try and manage my pain in a more holistic way. There’s many reasons for this; I don’t want to become dependent, often it doesn’t help and strong pain medication doesn’t react well with me. Plus, even though I have pain, it doesn’t always feel bad enough for medication – even if it’s really impacting my day! Oh, and I can’t swallow tablets which definitely can make it harder.

A study in 2016 showed that around 43% of people in the UK have experienced Chronic Pain at some point in their life

Using heat has helped manage my chronic pain a lot. For years, I used to think that heat didn’t help my chronic pain. This is mainly because every time I have a hot bath, I feel worse afterwards and can’t move! Turns out, I was wrong and using heat, especially for back and shoulder pain, has been a life saver. Heat therapy can be effective at managing chronic muscle pain or the stiff, sore joints affected by arthritis. It works by helping your muscles relax, which can alleviate both pain and stiffness. Applying heat to your muscles or joints also encourages circulation and blood flow to the area, which can reduce pain. Boosting blood flow to a painful area can also help to get rid of lactic acid waste buildup, which contributes to pain.

Why YUYU Bottle is a must for your chronic illness toolbox. YUYU Bottles not only are gorgeous, they’re also designed to be really usable. The original long hot water bottle is designed to keep more of you warmer for longer, without using more water. But my favourite part of the YUYU bottle is the fact it’s wearable. Yep, you heard that right! You can WEAR your water bottle by using the strap it comes with. This has been a game changer for my back pain as I can tie it to my lower back, and then go about my day in warmth and comfort.
YUYU are also eco conscious and work to be as sustainable as possible. They use biodegradable natural rubber and no harmful chemicals.

Check out Katie's blog for more chronic illness and wellbeing content here 

Follow her on Instagram at @katieemay1

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Interested in sharing your story with us? Get in touch with us at marketing@yuyubottle.com