Chronic Pain, Look at Natural Pain Management
There are so many different types of pain we experience, burning pain, stabbing pain, dull pain and even good pain. At the end of the day though, no-one really likes pain. (Well, some people do, but we won’t talk about that…)
If you’ve ever lived with chronic or long term pain, you will know there are a number of concerns surrounding regular use of pharmaceutical anti inflammatories and pain killers. Regular use of aspirin, for example, may lead to gastro intestinal disturbances, stomach ulcers, psoriasis or hives, liver damage and joint damage just to name a few. Aspirin has also been linked with neurotransmitter imbalance, which commonly lead to depression and mood disorders.
If you’re looking for a way to treat pain without side effects, nutritional medicine may hold the answer.
Pain Free Living – Step 1
It’s hard to drain the swamp when you’re up to your armpits in alligators!
Don’t be fooled. Like alligators, pain often prevents a calm, focussed look at the root cause.Like alligators, pain doesn’t let you focus on proactively fixing the root cause of the problem. When pain occurs, the first priority is relief. This is where herbs like turmeric and frankincense (bosweillia) can make a difference. As powerful anti-inflammatory herbs, these will soothe inflammation and bring the acute levels of pain down.
These herbs are commonly available in both creams or as tablets from health food stores and online. While turmeric can easily be included as part of the diet, for those that enjoy the odd curry, the recommended therapeutic dose is normally around 2 grams per day. At this concentration, it may make you a little off putting to your co-workers and family.
We regularly use these in tablet form in our clinic, both for osteoarthritis and other degenerative joint pain. In many cases we have seen results in as little as five days.
Pain Free Living – Step 2
With the alligators back in their cages, it’s time to look to the swamp.
Often, pain is an immediate response to trauma or injury, a strained back while lifting or twisted ankle playing football. In these cases, it’s time to rest, elevate and ice. Even add in a massage or two to help our body in the recovery process. More commonly though, clients come to see our Naturopathic Team for chronic, ongoing pain including:
- osteoarthritis;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- ankylosing spondylitis;
- fibromyalgia;
Nutrients to Stop the Chronic Pain Cycle
In these cases, while turmeric and frankincense will have reduced the immediate pain, we need to go a little deeper to stop the pain merry go round.
With the pain reduced, it’s time to break the pain cycle.Often, we find chronic pain occurs as part of an ongoing immune response. The trauma, or even dietary trigger, that led to the initial pain may no longer even be present, however the cycle of inflammation and immune response has become stuck on autopilot. There are a number of minerals, herbs and other nutrients that work to help release the repeat button. Some of these we regularly use in our clinic include:these
- zinc and selenium;
- omega-3 essential fatty acids; and
- vitamin d;
- hops;
One again many, of these are available in tablet, or liquid form. This can be invaluable when initially trying to achieve a therapeutic response.
Pain Free Living – Step 3
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
In our clinic we find a number of common, lifestyle and dietary triggers that are responsible for chronic pain. A diet that is highly inflammatory, filled with common allergens and bacterial overgrowth of the bowel; all contribute to the chronic pain of rheumatoid arthritis, spondylitis or fibromyalgia.
Book An Appointment Today
Our Naturopathic Team can help you to reduce pain by eliminating these triggers. Book online today to experience pain free living.