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Pain
Everyone experiences pain at some point in their lives. Physical pain serves as a warning that something isn't right, but the underlying problem isn't always physical. More on that later. We'll deal with physical pain first.
ACUTE PAIN
Acute pain from an injury or illness is a direct warning to stop moving and attend to the problem. Either remove yourself from the situation, or take action to protect yourself. You pick up a hot pan, you drop it. That's the appropriate initial action. Treatment depends upon the severity of the problem. Same with a sports injury. You pull a muscle, your body makes you stop moving. Adrenaline can make us continue for a while, but eventually, you'll stop.
CHRONIC PAIN
Later, pain can become a cycle of pain-tension-pain that is difficult to break. I'm going to suggest a few things here to try if you have chronic pain issues. First is diet, of course, the very thing you probably don't want to hear about! I have come to the realization that most people would rather change their religion than their diet, but I'm going to say it anyhow.
Foods that increase inflammation, increase pain. Inflammatory foods include red meat, sugar, flour, grains (wheat, rye, corn, barley, oats, and rice to name a few), and processed foods (packaged and prepared foods). Vegetables, fish oil, and some low sugar fruits decrease inflammation. If you have pain, you may want to consider Noni juice. Click here. Noni fruit has been researched to contain anti-inflammatory properties similar to that of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. All Noni products are not the same- some contain sugar or are cooked, thus removing the more helpful enzymes. Some are not grown in good soils and thus have fewer nutrients that aid healing. Frankly, the big store brand and the ones from the health food stores are not tested for purity and nutrient content and therefore cannot be recommended. Removing grains and sugar from your diet alone may help, but I have found Noni very helpful. There are other antioxidant products that I recommend for pain, and if you prefer pill form, check this out. I do think the Noni is superior, however.
I have read a lot about fish oil supplements to aid pain and inflammation, and some research has shown that it should be taken at 2 to 5 times the recommended serving size on the label. That can lead to bleeding, however, so discuss it with your natural health practitioner. Fish oil carries the risk also of being contaminated with heavy metals and PCB's, so you want a brand that is tested for purity. Here's what I take and recommend. There is a less expensive alternative that is also an excellent product if this is not an option here.
Depending upon your condition, exercise may be beneficial. Low back pain often responds favorably to exercise, for example. It is up to you and your health practitioner to decide how much and what kind of exercise will help you the most. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural pain relievers. I do believe naturopaths offer more information and helpful advice than medical doctors. It may be worth the money to find one and have a consultation.
Proper breathing technique is also important when treating chronic pain. Many people hold their breath often during the day, and fail to take deep abdominal breaths even when working. Holding your breath increases overall tension, and impedes the flow of "chi", or what the Chinese call the life force. The Chinese believe pain is caused by blocked chi, and poor breathing technique causes poor chi flow, which makes it more likely to get blocked. Look for a Chinese medicine practitioner, or someone who practices breath therapies to learn more.
Massage is very helpful in most cases of chronic pain, whether or not the area in question can be worked on directly or not. For example, following knee surgery I would not work on the affected leg until it was complelely healed, but the rest of the body undoubtedly has tension and painful areas a person may not be aware of until those areas are released. It is amazing how working on the rest of the body decreases pain in an unrelated area. Also, tight muscles decrease the flow of chi, as above, and decrease healing in all areas of the body.
Other modalities I recommend include acupuncture, energy healing, hypnosis, imagery, physical therapy, cognitive therapy, and chiropractic (not necessarily in that order). Talk to others who have used such practitioners and find someone well recommended. Don't just go to the phone book. Remember, there are good and bad professionals in every field, and you must do your due diligence to find someone with good skills. This holds with medical doctors as well, by the way.
Hypnosis and guided imagery help the mind find and disconnect the emotional link to pain. It does exist whether you think it does or not. I have known several people whose physical pain was not tied to the injury they believed it was, but to a painful past emotional trauma they had either forgotten about or discarded as inconsequential. These techniques will help to some degree no matter what! The mind is incredibly powerful.
Sleep is a big factor in chronic pain. Although some folks complain all they do is sleep, it is likely if you have significant chronic pain you also have a sleep disturbance. Again, I recommend Noni juice because of the effect it has on the sleep cycle. Lack of sleep can cause chronic pain in and of itself, so discuss this with your natural health care practitioner.
Most of all, I recommend you do not be a victim. Be pro-active- learn everything you can about your condition, and experiment with things to help yourself. Don't have a closed mind. Pain can be exhausting, and life-consuming. Try one thing at a time, and give it a fair trial- at least 3 months- before deciding it doesn't work.
ACUTE PAIN
Acute pain from an injury or illness is a direct warning to stop moving and attend to the problem. Either remove yourself from the situation, or take action to protect yourself. You pick up a hot pan, you drop it. That's the appropriate initial action. Treatment depends upon the severity of the problem. Same with a sports injury. You pull a muscle, your body makes you stop moving. Adrenaline can make us continue for a while, but eventually, you'll stop.
CHRONIC PAIN
Later, pain can become a cycle of pain-tension-pain that is difficult to break. I'm going to suggest a few things here to try if you have chronic pain issues. First is diet, of course, the very thing you probably don't want to hear about! I have come to the realization that most people would rather change their religion than their diet, but I'm going to say it anyhow.
Foods that increase inflammation, increase pain. Inflammatory foods include red meat, sugar, flour, grains (wheat, rye, corn, barley, oats, and rice to name a few), and processed foods (packaged and prepared foods). Vegetables, fish oil, and some low sugar fruits decrease inflammation. If you have pain, you may want to consider Noni juice. Click here. Noni fruit has been researched to contain anti-inflammatory properties similar to that of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. All Noni products are not the same- some contain sugar or are cooked, thus removing the more helpful enzymes. Some are not grown in good soils and thus have fewer nutrients that aid healing. Frankly, the big store brand and the ones from the health food stores are not tested for purity and nutrient content and therefore cannot be recommended. Removing grains and sugar from your diet alone may help, but I have found Noni very helpful. There are other antioxidant products that I recommend for pain, and if you prefer pill form, check this out. I do think the Noni is superior, however.
I have read a lot about fish oil supplements to aid pain and inflammation, and some research has shown that it should be taken at 2 to 5 times the recommended serving size on the label. That can lead to bleeding, however, so discuss it with your natural health practitioner. Fish oil carries the risk also of being contaminated with heavy metals and PCB's, so you want a brand that is tested for purity. Here's what I take and recommend. There is a less expensive alternative that is also an excellent product if this is not an option here.
Depending upon your condition, exercise may be beneficial. Low back pain often responds favorably to exercise, for example. It is up to you and your health practitioner to decide how much and what kind of exercise will help you the most. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural pain relievers. I do believe naturopaths offer more information and helpful advice than medical doctors. It may be worth the money to find one and have a consultation.
Proper breathing technique is also important when treating chronic pain. Many people hold their breath often during the day, and fail to take deep abdominal breaths even when working. Holding your breath increases overall tension, and impedes the flow of "chi", or what the Chinese call the life force. The Chinese believe pain is caused by blocked chi, and poor breathing technique causes poor chi flow, which makes it more likely to get blocked. Look for a Chinese medicine practitioner, or someone who practices breath therapies to learn more.
Massage is very helpful in most cases of chronic pain, whether or not the area in question can be worked on directly or not. For example, following knee surgery I would not work on the affected leg until it was complelely healed, but the rest of the body undoubtedly has tension and painful areas a person may not be aware of until those areas are released. It is amazing how working on the rest of the body decreases pain in an unrelated area. Also, tight muscles decrease the flow of chi, as above, and decrease healing in all areas of the body.
Other modalities I recommend include acupuncture, energy healing, hypnosis, imagery, physical therapy, cognitive therapy, and chiropractic (not necessarily in that order). Talk to others who have used such practitioners and find someone well recommended. Don't just go to the phone book. Remember, there are good and bad professionals in every field, and you must do your due diligence to find someone with good skills. This holds with medical doctors as well, by the way.
Hypnosis and guided imagery help the mind find and disconnect the emotional link to pain. It does exist whether you think it does or not. I have known several people whose physical pain was not tied to the injury they believed it was, but to a painful past emotional trauma they had either forgotten about or discarded as inconsequential. These techniques will help to some degree no matter what! The mind is incredibly powerful.
Sleep is a big factor in chronic pain. Although some folks complain all they do is sleep, it is likely if you have significant chronic pain you also have a sleep disturbance. Again, I recommend Noni juice because of the effect it has on the sleep cycle. Lack of sleep can cause chronic pain in and of itself, so discuss this with your natural health care practitioner.
Most of all, I recommend you do not be a victim. Be pro-active- learn everything you can about your condition, and experiment with things to help yourself. Don't have a closed mind. Pain can be exhausting, and life-consuming. Try one thing at a time, and give it a fair trial- at least 3 months- before deciding it doesn't work.
