CHLOE HOLYMAN
Pain is the distressing feeling triggered in the nervous system. You may feel it as a prick, tingle, sting, burn or ache and it can be caused by intense or damaging stimuli, such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, bumping your funny bone or more extreme occurrences such as breaking a bone, childbirth or chronic ailments such as arthritis and other musculoskeletal diseases.
For as long as we existed pain has. It comes and goes and sometimes in a couple of minutes or other times it can stick around for much longer, usually urging for the assistance of pain relief.
The urge to find relief from pain has meant that natural pain relief remedies have been around for nearly as long as we have. Traditional medicine and natural pain relief ingredients such as ginger have proven to be effective for certain ailments and levels of pain for centuries.
Depending on the ailment and level of pain different forms of pain relief should be considered. It is advised not to take over the counter (OTC) pain relief products too often because frequent doses — even small ones — of OTC painkillers are hard on the liver, and they can lead to serious side effects such as stomach bleeding or increased risk of stroke.
From herbs that attack inflammation to techniques that leverage the brain’s remarkable healing powers, nature offers many treatments for both acute and chronic ailments that result in pain.
There are a range of natural pain relief options from supplements to meditation. Here are some of our suggestions:
Acupuncture
Today, acupuncture is one of the most accepted complementary therapies in the country, with more than 80 per cent of GPs referring patients to an accredited acupuncturist in the past 12 months.
Professor Marc Cohen discussed with Body & Soul that “people who have come into an emergency department in pain and tried acupuncture have had their pain relieved in a very short period of time”
Specific herbs
More than 100 plants are known to have pain-relieving properties, but some are really outstanding. The following are some of our favourites for natural pain relief.
- Devils Claw – This herb eases muscular tension or pain in the back, shoulders and neck. A popular treatment for osteoarthritic pain, it may ease rheumatoid arthritic pain as well.
- Boswellia CarteriiIt contains boswellic acids, shown to invigorate the blood helping relieve muscle pain and reduce swelling.
- Arnica montana flower has anti-inflammatory properties. When applied to the skin it offers pain relief associated with sporting injuries, such as sprains, bruises and general muscle aches.
- Menthaarvensis herb oil, also known as Japanese mint, this oil has a beautiful scent and has traditionally been used for its pain relieving properties.
- Gingerroot (Zingiberofficinale) has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties that can alleviate digestive cramps and mild pain from fibromyalgia.
Meditation
Meditation comes in many varieties, some complex, others simple. One common approach is just to find a sound that is pleasing to you but has no particular meaning, close your eyes, sit still and comfortably, and repeat the sound in your mind.
Start with a few minutes, and gradually lengthen to thirty minutes. You will find yourself refreshed and reinvigorated, with less pain overall.
Massage and physiotherapy
Massage is far from a new form of pain relief and was described by Hippocrates as an effective therapy for sports or war injuries. This age-old practice is desperately needed in our “pill for every ill” mentality.
Further more, methods such as yoga, Foundation Training, acupuncture, general exercise, meditation, hot and cold packs, and mind-body techniques can also result in astonishing pain relief without any drugs.
Pain elicits an urge within us where we search for an acute solution sometimes without thinking of the longer term consequences to our mind and bodies. There is overuse and misuse of pharmaceutical drugs with many becoming hooked. If you’re struggling with chronic pain, it makes sense to exhaust all other options before moving on to prescription drugs.
Related Tag: Zen Pain Relief
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