| Alternative, or complementary, medicine includes a growing group
of recognized therapies which are effective as pain reduction and
prevention strategies. Many more doctors are coming to recommend
these treatments due to their high rate of success in reducing the
need for prescription treatment, and improving general well-being
without the risk of prescription side effects. While severe or chronic
pain may still need prescription treatment, these therapies may
reduce the frequency of that need.
One of the main premises of complementary medicine is that pain
is the body's way of saying that something in wrong. When looked
at as a symptom of a deeper problem, we can still treat pain seriously,
but we begin to investigate more ways of reducing its source and
causes. By improving diet and health habits, finding a type of body
work that increases physical well-being, and making sure to provide
yourself with adequate nutrition, you can greatly increase the success
of your pain treatment.
Diet and Lifestyle
A well balanced diet and adequate fresh water can go a long way
towards improving the well-being of individuals with many conditions.
Water and fresh, whole foods help the body cleanse itself of toxins
and make it easier to remove obstacles to tissue repair. Natural
sources of lean proteins and essential fatty acids provide healthy
building blocks for our bodies' repair work.
Saturated fats, sugar, caffeine, and processed food may all accelerate
toxin accumulation, and may contribute directly to inflammatory
conditions. By overwhelming the body with the work of clearing these
substances from the system, less resources are available for tissue
regeneration.
Allergies to certain foods may also contribute to chronic pain
of many types. Classic examples are migraines triggered by alcohol,
milk, wheat, or a host of other foods, or arthritis patients whose
pain is significantly reduced by avoiding milk or the nightshade
vegetables (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and white potatoes). To
investigate this possibility, you should ideally have the advice
of a nutritionist, but can find plenty of useful advice in the book
'Food Allergies and Food Intolerance' by Johnathon Brostoff, MD,
and Linda Gamlin.
As it is common for doctors to be able to graduate medical school
without taking any classes in nutrition or nutritional therapy,
your doctor may not deeply investigate dietary causes or contributions
to chronic illness. If it is important to you to look into the subject,
you may want to find a physician who is willing to provide feedback
and useful suggestions along this topic.
Alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine use up large amounts of valuable
nutritional substances in the process of being eliminated from the
body. The resulting nutrient deficiencies may contribute to the
body's inability to heal itself in many ways, including disruption
of digestion and absorption. This may also be true of certain prescription
drugs, which may cause imbalances that contribute to painful conditions
elsewhere in the body. Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, or continual
prescription use (even for necessary treatments) increase the body's
needs for additional nutrients. These substances can also disrupt
sleep, another critical component in self-healing.
Proper sleep is one of the most crucial factors is the body's ability
to restore itself. Many chronic pain conditions are accompanied,
and aggravated by, chronic sleep disturbance. Whether you experience
insomnia, sleep apnea, restless limbs, or early awakenings, you
should look into finding ways to improve the quality of your sleep.
Studies have indicated that sleep disruption can cause chronic pain
and mood disturbances even in previously healthy individuals.
Mind and Body Work
It is now generally accepted that mental well-being, a positive
outlook, and regular exercise are essential to the health prospects
of even the most seriously ill. It's curious to know that what might
be considered unusual alternative therapies are more regularly suggested
for seriously ill patients than for the chronically ill. While it
is not clear how all of these treatments work, and though not all
of them may work for you, many individuals experience significant
relief from at least one of these therapies.
These methods of learning to control and prevent your pain can
help put you back in charge of your life, instead of feeling that
it is run by your pain.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a centuries old practice originating in China which
uses sterile needles at certain nerve pathways, or meridians, to
release blocks in tissue. This therapy tends to be helpful for conditions
caused by stress or muscle tension, and can reduce the tension often
associated with more serious illnesses. It may take a number of
treatments before you experience significant relief, but it is common
to feel some relaxation and easing of symptoms after one or two
visits.
Biofeedback
Springing from the discovery that rats could learn to manipulate
their vital signs in response to a reward, scientists set up monitoring
equipment and set up sessions to see if humans could learn how to
do the same thing. It turns out that people can learn to control
even involuntary functions more directly than was previously believed.
Biofeedback training uses monitoring equipment to provide feedback
on your level of control over heart rate, blood flow, brain waves,
and tension.
Learning how to relax tense muscles at will, calm a racing heartbeat,
and increase blood flow to the extremeties turn out to be remarkably
effective strategies for relieving pain and tension. Even if certain
types of pain are not completely removed, much of the secondary
pain and tension that accompany a condition can be reduced. Some
individuals have even used biofeedback therapy to control migraine
pain and physical reactions to food they are intolerant of.
Exercise
Regular aerobic exercise is an important factor in reducing pain
and regaining your strength after injury or illness. Allowing muscles
to atrophy may increase pain and weakness significantly. Exercise
also releases endorphins, the body's own opiates, which can block
pain and produce a sense of well-being.
Aerobic exercises deepen the breathing naturally, enhancing oxygen
flow to the tissues, and reducing blood pressure. High blood pressure,
all by itself, can trigger an alarm state in the body which makes
individuals more sensitive to pain signals. Sleep can also be influenced
in a positive way by regular activity, with more active individuals
generally experiencing deeper and more restorative sleep.
Stretching is essential to maintain flexibility and prevent stiffening
in underused muscles. The best way of stretching an muscle is to
approach the stretch gently, and hold it for as long as you can,
but for a minimim of 10 seconds. Deep breathing while focusing on
the muscle being stretched can greatly aid your ability to relax
into a posture.
Strength exercises are also important for building muscle tissue
that can take pressure off of stressed joints and make it easier
to maintain good posture. But remember that if you have a painful
joint condition or fibromyalgia, weight training is probably not
for you. You may find more success with yoga, calisthenics, or pilates
exercises which don't put strain on weakened joints. Be careful
about postures or exercises which increase your pain, as a few minutes
of exercising the wrong way can cause hours or days worth of suffering.
Hypnosis
While scientists still do not understand exactly how hypnosis works,
there is an increasing acceptance of its value as a therapy. By
using the power of the mind's visualization ability and control
over perception, this can be a powerful therapy even for the severe
pain of surgical treatment. Many individuals have experienced relief
with chronic pain, insomnia, digestive and eating disorders, headaches,
and mood disturbances that may be caused by or involved with chronic
pain.
Hypnosis may not work for everyone, but your chance of success
is greatly increased if you can form a trusting relationship with
your practitioner.
Massage and Bodywork
There are many types of these treatments, including but not limited
to, deep tissue massage, shiatsu, feldenkrais, rolfing, lomi lomi,
Thai bodywork, and many others. They use hands on rubbing, stretching,
and sometimes tapping, to release muscle tension.
A feeling of relaxation and relief can be experienced after a good
massage, but you need to communicate with your massage provider
about how their treatment feels both before and during the session
to ensure a good outcome. People vary widely in whether deep or
light pressure feels good, or how they respond to certain types
of movements, so you may need to provide feedback about your preferred
style. You may also find that certain areas of your body are more
tender, and can't handle heavier pressure that may feel good elsewhere,
so let the therapist know.
Lactic acid can be released from muscle tissue during deep massage,
just like after strenuous exercise, and can cause muscle aches later
on. Avoid this by drinking lots of water afterwards to help your
body wash it out quickly. While releasing lactic acid from the muscles
can be uncomfortable if you are dehydrated, it's very good for the
body to be able to remove it.
Meditation
There are varieties of meditation suited to almost every preference,
and though it isn't clear entirely how it works, this avenue of
personal development also seems to contribute significantly to physical
and emotional health. The relaxed state acheived in meditation practice
encourages deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and emotional stability.
For beginners, it is often easiest to start meditating with a little
bit of experienced guidance. You might investigate a type that interests
you, and then look for a local group or community center that offers
classes. After you have been introduced to meditation, and feel
more comfortable with your practice, it will be easier for you to
explore on your own.
Physical Therapy
Traditional physical therapy is a very good way to accelerate recovery
from a muscle injury, or to plan an exercise program that won't
aggravate chronic pain. This type of therapy can encompass everything
from massage or pool exercises, to calisthenics and strength training.
Your physical therapist is trained to gauge your progress and provide
appropriate levels of activity that will challenge your body without
damaging it.
Qi Gong or Tai Chi
Yet more centuries old Chinese techniques for improving health.
Tai Chi is a specialized branch of Qi Gong, but both practices focus
on releasing tension, improving posture, promoting deep breathing,
and increasing relaxation. If you have great difficulty sitting
still for traditional meditation, these exercises can be like a
moving meditation, allowing you to get the benefits of both exercise
and meditation.
As chronic pain can be accelerated by tension, poor posture, and
shallow breathing, these gentle exercises are good for all sorts
of chronic pain conditions. They tend to be very easy on the joints,
and rarely tire even individuals who suffer from chronic fatigue
as well as pain. Often, a sense of energized well-being will follow
your sessions as you practice more frequently.
Yoga
This Indian technique which uses a series of postures to improve
strength, relaxation, breathing, and balance. This practice can
also function as a moving meditation for individuals who have difficulty
focusing their thoughts. Continued yoga practice can build tremendous
strength and flexibility, while encouraging the muscles to relax
and lengthen.
Individuals with painful joint conditions may want to approach
yoga cautiously, or with a teacher who is experienced in demonstrating
postures that don't pressure the injured joint. An inexperienced
teacher in combination with the wrong posture may cause further
joint pain.
Nutrition and Supplements
Bodies that are undergoing chronic stress and pain tend to use
certain nutrients very quickly, and this nutrient imbalance can
worsen with poor diet, or the use of alcohol, caffeine, or nicotine.
The following natural remedies may be particularly helpful to those
in pain.
- 5-HTP - This precursor to serotonin can help normalize
levels of the neurotransmitter in individuals whose chronic pain
has caused sleeplessness, and may also be beneficial to headache
sufferers. If digestive troubles accompany your symptoms, whether
as the result of your condition or the medication used to treat
it, 5-HTP may help improve these symptoms. Do not combine with
prescription antidepressants.
- Alfalfa - This grass is a treasure trove of nutrients
that are helpful for connective tissue formation. You can take
a supplement or eat fresh alfalfa sprouts.
- Bromelain - This enzyme found in pineapple has been found
to reduce inflammation. You can get supplemental bromelain, or
eat lots of fresh (not canned or frozen) pineapple. When taken
by itself, bromelain reduces inflammation. When taken with meals,
it aids in the digestion of protein.
- B-Vitamins - These vitamins are involved in numerous
processes in the body, but are used up rapidly under stress, or
in times of illness. Alcohol use, smoking, taking oral contraceptives,
and the use of prescription medications which require extensive
liver metabolism may all use up these nutrients, and may indicate
that a supplement would be beneficial. While a multivitamin is
likely to contain the B vitamins, the amounts may not be as great
as what you would find in a B-complex supplement. Unless a doctor
or nutritionist has identified a specific B vitamin deficiency,
it's best to take balanced amounts of all these vitamins, as high
doses of one can disrupt the others.
- Capsaicin - This component of cayenne pepper has a numbing,
anti-inflammatory effect when absorbed through the skin or consumed.
To make a topical preparation, mix a paste of cayenne pepper and
wintergreen oil, then apply to joints. This ointment will sting
in the beginning, but should decrease pain over time.
- Carotenoids and Vitamin A - Vitamin A and its precursors,
carotenoids, are used in the repair of connective tissue. If you
have a condition for which high doses of vitamin A are recommended,
have liver damage, or if you are pregnant, you should take mixed
carotenoids instead. Individuals with liver disease should nat
take cod liver oil for vitamin A, as it may be very toxic. If
you have hypothyroidism, however, you will have difficulty turning
carotenoids into vitamin A, and should take regular vitamin A
instead. A dose of 10,000 IU of vitamin A, or 25,000 IU of carotenoids,
is sufficient for good health.
- Essential Fatty Acids - Found in abundance in fish oil,
flaxseed oil, and primrose oil, these fats are considered to be
natural anti-inflammatories. They are called essential because
our bodies cannot manufacture them and they are necessary for
many functions. The Omega-3 fatty acids are the ones most deficient
in the modern diet, and most helpful for pain. While any of the
above sources are good ways to get high doses of Omega-3 fats,
you should not use fish oil if you have a damaged or diseased
liver as it contains excessive amounts of vitamin A.
- Free Form Amino Acids - These basic proteins can be absorbed
directly by the body to be used as building blocks for tissue
repair. They are especially beneficial if you have absorption,
digestion, or liver problems. If you regularly take pain medication,
this is an excellent way to deliver protein to the body without
additional stress on a liver that is detoxifying the analgesics.
These protein come in liquid, capsule, and protein powder forms.
Avoid supplements containing excess sugar.
- Magnesium - This mineral may be deficient in individuals
with chronic pain, and functions as a natural calcium channel
blocker and muscle relaxant. If you suffer from chronic pain,
you may want to add extra magnesium supplementation to your multivitamin.
- Methlsulfonylmethane (MSM) - This sulfur containing supplement
is especially necessary for individuals experiencing pain or degeneration
of connective tissues. This organic sulfur compound reduces inflammation
and promotes tissue repair. You can also add beneficial sulfur
compounds to your diet by increasing your intake of asparagus,
eggs, garlic, and oniouns.
- Multivitamin - Find a good multivitamin without iron.
(Iron supplementation is unnecessary unless you are diagnosed
with anemia, and dangerous for men and children. Iron can also
worsen joint swelling and pain.) It should contain all of the
major vitamins (A, B-complex, C, D, & E) and necessary minerals.
Good basic nutrition can benefit all health conditions to some
degree and aids healing.
- Vitamin C - A maintenance of 500 mg of this vitamin is
sufficient for good health, but individuals whose bodies are injured
or stressed tend to need more. Doses between 1,000-10,000 mg may
be recommended depending on the severity of the condition. Vitamin
C may have an anti-inflammatory effect due to its antioxidant
properties.
- Vitamin E - A dose of 400-800 IU (more than is usually
contained in a multivitamin) seems to improve joint mobility,
and helps to protect the liver. Maintaining a healthy liver may
be especially important for individuals who need to use prescription
medication frequently.
- Zinc - Individuals with arthritic conditions tend to
be low in zinc. This mineral is essential for the immune system,
and may be used more quickly by the body under certain conditions.
A dose of 50 mg daily is usually sufficient for health maintenance,
but you should not exceed a dose of 100 mg daily from all sources.
Good self-care can benefit your pain treatment
in many ways, including the improvement of the underlying causes
of pain. Good nutrition and regular exercise are easy ways to help
the body recover more quickly from injury and illness, and reduces
the number of perpetuating factors for chronic pain.
But the most important benefit is the feeling of well-being often
experienced by individuals who take personal responsibility for
improving all aspects of their health.
References:
This document is provided for information only; it is not intended
to diagnose symptoms, prescribe treatment, or to substitute for
consultation with a physician. While we have made every effort to
ensure that this information is accurate and extensive, only your
doctor can tell you if a medication, or drug combination, is safe
for you. Information intended for US residents only. |
