Getting an injection shot is something most people do not look forward to. While taking pills or medicine orally can help treat a disease, there are times when it may be necessary to take an injection shot.
An injection shot can be given almost on almost any part of the body, depending on the type of injection you are having, whether it is intramuscular or subcutaneous. But the most common place to receive injection is the buttocks.
This would require you to remove your cloth to reveal your bare buttocks. Besides the fact that receiving this type of injection makes some people feel a bit uncomfortable, there is also the pain that comes with it.
Nonetheless, the buttocks are always the popular choice, especially when receiving an intramuscular shot, because it has a lot of muscles, compared to the arms or other areas of the body.
The pain associated with an injection shot in the buttocks discourages people from receiving one. But injections are more effective and work faster, in some cases, than taking pills or other forms of medications.
Since the pain is what puts people off, today, we would be looking at ways to reduce injection pain in the buttocks.
1. Numb the area
One thing you can do to reduce the pain you will feel from the syringe is to numb the area where you will receive the shot.
This you can do with an ice cube. Gently rub the ice cube around the area to make it numb some minutes before you receive the shot.
That way, you will feel less pain when receiving the injection and even afterward.
2. Distract yourself
Most times, the reason why we feel so much pain from an injection shot is that we are too focused on it.
Our minds would be on the injection for hours and even days before we receive it.
That focus tends to magnify the pain we feel when we finally receive the injection. Instead, you should put your mind on other things.
You can try watching a movie or even listen to a song while waiting to get the injection. The point here is to keep your mind distracted. Feed your mind with other things and you will hardly feel the pain from the needle.
3. Do not look at the needle
There are people who twist their necks to see the nurse or doctor as they inject them.
All this adds to the fear and anticipation and makes the injection hurt a lot more.
Avoid trying to look at the needle at all cost. Focus on something else in the room, like a chart or a picture or anything else.
4. Relax your muscles
The fear of receiving an injection can cause your muscle to be tensed and this could increase the level of pain you feel from the shot.
Instead, try and relax your muscles by freeing it up. This would reduce the pain left by the needle.
5. Hold your breath
Holding your breath while you receive the injection would also reduce the pain you feel from it.
As the injection process would only take a few seconds, holding your breath would not be much of a problem.
6. Rub well afterwards
After you have received the injection, the doctor or nurse would hand you a cotton ball with an alcohol-based antiseptic that would prevent infections and would also prevent swelling in the injected area, which would reduce the pain you feel.
7. Hold on to something tightly
You can firmly hold onto something and squeeze it as you receive the injection. It is suggested that you squeeze a stress ball, piece of cloth or someone’s hand, with the hand opposite your injection arm while you are being injected.
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Collins Nwokolo is a human physiologist, writer and health enthusiast. He loves writing helpful articles on health and fitness, which he enjoys sharing with everyone.
