Biltmore Fashion Park (and Phoenix Holiday Shopping)

Surviving Long Days on Your Feet With Chronic Pain

The holiday lights are up at Biltmore Fashion Park, Park Central’s got its festive decorations, and Desert Ridge Marketplace is bustling with shoppers. The stores are decorated everywhere. Your family wants to make a day of it, browsing Saks and Macy’s, checking out local boutiques, grabbing lunch at one of the outdoor restaurants, soaking in that festive atmosphere that makes Phoenix’s winter season so special. You want to go. You really do.

But you already know what’s going to happen. An hour in, your legs will start aching. Two hours in, the fatigue will hit like a wall. By the time you get home, you’ll be in so much pain that you’ll need to spend the next three days in bed recovering. Is it worth it? Can you even handle it?

This is the math that people with fibromyalgia and chronic pain do constantly. Every activity comes with a cost, and sometimes that cost feels too high.

The Holiday Season Hits Different

There’s something particularly cruel about chronic pain during the holidays. This is supposed to be a joyful time, a season of connection and celebration. Instead, you’re calculating how much energy you have in your tank and whether you can afford to spend it on a shopping trip. You’re declining invitations because you know your body can’t handle it. You’re watching everyone else participate in traditions while you sit on the sidelines, exhausted and hurting.

And then there’s the guilt. The feeling that you’re letting people down. That you’re missing out on moments with loved ones that you’ll never get back. That maybe, if you just pushed harder or had more willpower, you could be like everyone else.

But here’s the thing. Your pain isn’t about willpower. It’s about a nervous system that’s been stuck in fight-or-flight mode for so long that it doesn’t know how to turn off the alarm anymore.

Why Everything Feels Harder

When you have fibromyalgia or chronic pain from neurodegenerative conditions or old injuries, your nervous system processes everything as a threat. Standing for long periods? Threat. Walking on hard surfaces? Threat. Crowds, noise, bright lights, even the excitement of the holidays? All threats. Your body responds to these “threats” by amplifying pain signals, tightening muscles, and depleting your already limited energy reserves.

It’s not that you’re weak or overly sensitive (though plenty of people who don’t understand chronic pain might suggest that). Your nervous system is genuinely hypersensitive, and it’s exhausting your body as it tries to protect you from dangers that don’t actually exist.

Finding a Different Way Forward

At Breathe Chiropractic, we work with the reality of what chronic pain does to your nervous system. We use incredibly gentle techniques that help calm that overactive stress response without overwhelming your already sensitive system. Think of it like slowly turning down the volume on an alarm that’s been blaring for years.

“The goal isn’t to push through pain or pretend it doesn’t exist,” says Dr. Carla Freeman. “It’s to help your body shift out of survival mode, so you have more capacity for the things that bring meaning to your life. When your nervous system isn’t spending all its resources just managing pain, you’d be surprised how much more becomes possible.”

We combine gentle chiropractic adjustments with techniques like Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique, which helps release stored emotional stress that often amplifies physical pain. Many people don’t realize how much tension they’re carrying from years of dealing with chronic conditions, the frustration, grief, and anger that gets lodged in the body and makes everything worse.

Practical Strategies for Holiday Outings

While care can help build your resilience over time, there are also practical ways to make outings more manageable right now. Plan shorter trips and give yourself permission to leave when you need to. Bring a lightweight folding stool so you can sit when your legs get tired. Choose comfortable shoes. Stay hydrated and bring snacks to keep your blood sugar stable.

Most importantly, adjust your expectations. You might not be able to do everything you used to do, and that’s okay. What matters is participating in ways that work for your body, not forcing yourself into situations that will leave you suffering for days.