Chronic pain affects almost one out of every five persons in the United States, making it difficult, if not impossible, to work while also spending time with family and friends.
Even if the source of the pain has gone away, if you have chronic pain, which is defined as lasting more than three months and not responding to treatment, your body hasn't switched off the pain impulses to the brain.
The discomfort could be caused by a condition like arthritis, a sprain or other injury, or any number of other less obvious causes.
While pharmaceuticals are readily available, some people choose more natural or holistic approaches to pain relief. Others discover that medication doesn't provide enough relief and are looking for alternative therapies to supplement or replace their current treatments.
Doctors still don't fully comprehend chronic pain, but they do recognize that what works for one person may not work for another. So, in this instance, it's best to try, try again.
Consider attempting a more natural approach to relief the next time chronic pain is weighing you down. And, because pain is unique to each person, ask your doctor for details on these therapies, such as dosages and how long you should try them.
1. Turmeric
Turmeric, also known as Curcuma longa, is a root. It's commonly found in spicy meals, particularly Indian cuisine. It has anti-inflammatory qualities, according to studies.
Researchers showed that combining turmeric with two other drugs, Devil's claw and bromelain provided significant pain alleviation in patients suffering from osteoarthritis. Two 650-milligram capsules were taken two or three times a day by the patients.
2. Resveratrol
Resveratrol, which may be found in red wine, grapes, and berries, is known to provide a variety of health advantages, including anti-cancer, brain-protective, and even life-prolonging properties.
Researchers have discovered that the chemical regulates pain on a molecular basis.
3. Meditation
Meditation can help you feel better. Meditation isn't a scripted activity. You can acquire instruction, but you can also research approaches and follow directions, such as this material on mindfulness meditation.
Researchers discovered that those who practiced meditation reported more chronic pain relief, lower anxiety and sadness, and a higher mental quality of life than those who did not.
4. Exercise
Most pain issues can be improved by exercising and maintaining good physical health. He claims that when we exercise, our bodies manufacture their own analgesics, such as endorphins, hormones that actually raise our pain threshold.
Endorphins bind to receptors in the brain and alter our feeling of pain. Exercise was found to be fairly beneficial in one study of non-pharmacologic therapies for chronic pain.
5. Heat therapy
Heat and cold therapy are both tried-and-true methods of pain relief. Bathing in hot Epsom salts relaxes the mind and shifts nerve input from the body to the brain.
Ice is a well-known method for reducing inflammation locally. Apply ice to an acute injury as soon as possible. If you twist your ankle, for example, it becomes painful and swollen. In this circumstance, applying heat will enhance blood flow and edema.
Heat would be the best treatment for chronic back spasms. Take a warm shower and use the warm water to massage your neck or back (or whatever body region is bothering you).
6. Fish oil
Anti-inflammatory qualities of fish oil are well recognized, and inflammation plays a big role in pain. In one trial, patients with neck or back discomfort were told to take 1200 milligrams of fish oil supplements containing eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids every day. Moreover half of the 125 patients who returned after 75 days claimed they had stopped taking their prescription medicines.
