Pain is very common among people. We experience pain in one body part or another at least once throughout the day. You can get used to the idea of pain if you are an adult. Also, you should know that the occurrence of pain may increase as you grow older. Women are most likely to experience pain more than men.
As much as we all would like to get rid of the pain for eternity, unfortunately, there is no permanent pain solution. However, there are many treatments and remedies available to help you deal with the pain for the time being.
Whether we get a headache, an ankle sprain, back pain, period pain, our first reflex is to pop a pain management medication. Yes, these medications relieve the pain, but we don’t realize that long-term use of these medications is not safe. Pain relief medicines can cause kidney dysfunction and ulcers in the stomach over long term use. However, they can sometimes be used without the fear of side effects. Furthermore, there are various other ways of relieving pain that we will be discussing in this article.
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Types Of Pains
The most common type of pains are:
- Headaches
- Backaches
- Injuries
- Arthritis
- Cancer
Pain caused by Medical issues like cancer and arthritis can only be treated by taking heavy medications and by undergoing some heavy medical procedures. However, the more common ones like backaches and headaches can be self-treated.
A fun but an unbelievable fact: pain is our body’s protective mechanism. When our body feels a danger, it sends out a signal to warn us. The body has pain receptors that are attached to two main types of nerves that detect danger. One of which sends down a message rapidly that causes a quick, sharp pain. On the other hand, the other nerve sends down the message slowly, hence a prolonged throbbing pain.
There are many non-medicinal ways to manage pain. However, a combination of a few treatments can prove to be more effective. Therefore, select a few suitable remedies for you and your body and incorporate them into your daily life.
Hot And Cold Compressions
Heat and cold compressions are often suggested to those who are suffering from muscle or joint damage.
People often get confused about using heat or ice. Some suggest cold compression, while the others suggest hot. The truth is neither is wrong, but the trick to using either is WHEN to use WHICH.
Apply cold compressions to an injury right after you get it to reduce the swelling. Apply hot compresses after the cold to get rid of the stiffness caused in the muscles.
How to use hot/cold therapy?
It’s simple, grab a cold beer can, a bag of frozen peas, or an ice pack and apply it to the wound.
For a hot compression, use a heating pad, a hot sandbag, or a hot bath.
Physical Therapy/physiotherapy
Want pain management without drugs? Try physiotherapy. Physiotherapy has gained popularity over the years. Awareness regarding prescribed or over-the-counter drugs has increased rapidly in the past decade that people have started opting for safer options.
Psychological Therapy
Pain has a massive effect on our brains. We may start to feel stressed, angry, hopeless, and whatnot. All these emotions may result in harmful behavior with our colleagues and family members. Pain can cause a lack of sleep, which can lead to anxiety, insomnia, and depression.
All these factors combined can make your pain worse.
Psychological therapy is among drug-free pain management techniques. A large part of psychological pain treatment is education, helping patients acquire skills to manage a very difficult problem. Psychological therapy reduces pain by lifting off the mental stress.
Exercise
Letting your muscles rest for a long time after an injury may prove to be dangerous; it is medically proven that resting your body after an injury may result in a broken bone etc if used after not moving it at all. Therefore some sort of activity is vital for your injuries and overall health. Furthermore, exercise causes the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.
You don’t have to carry out intense workouts, but mild exercises like riding the bicycle, walking slowly, or swimming would suffice. Furthermore, exercise normalizes your blood flow and prevents diseases like obesity, high blood pressure, anxiety, stress, depression, and heart diseases.
Exercise works like your natural pain management treatment and also is the key to a healthy lifestyle.
Natural Herbs/Supplements For Pain
Consider the use of natural products over medications for your pains. Natural herb comes with almost no hazardous side effects, so they can be used fear-free.
The most helpful plants for pain are CBD and kratom. The use of kratom for pain is very common worldwide and it is accessible through online shops such as kratom krush. Also, there are various ways to consume it to get rid of pain:
- Kratom capsules
- Kratom tea
- Kratom tinctures
- Kratom powder
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a method which has been used by the Chinese for centuries for the purpose of relieving pain. It is a process of inserting needles into the body, targeting pressure points near our nerves. It restores balance within the body and encourages it to heal by releasing natural endorphins (the body’s natural pain killers).
Acupuncture may be very helpful in treating the following types of pains:
- Neck pain
- Lower back pains
- Menstrual cramps
- Osteoarthritis
- Tennis elbow
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
Diet Plan
Many people believe that incorporating foods that have high inflammatory properties can help reduce pain by reducing inflammation.
A few studies show that women with premenstrual cramps experience a positive reduction in her pain levels after adopting a healthier, low-fat dairy vegetarian diet.
Although combining a healthy green diet with some physical activity can prove to be beneficial for reducing pain.
Consider Visiting A Chiropractor
Chiropractic treatment is the best alternative for surgery. It is very useful for eliminating back pains.
The amazing part is that a chiropractor does not use any machinery or tools to treat your pain; they know what point to fix, so it’s just a quick turn and twist and voila! Problem solved. They have magic in their hands, and that’s all we can say. A chiropractor does manual adjustment and manipulation of the spine.
Watch a few chiropractic therapy videos over the internet. By God, they are very satisfying to watch. Watching all those people being helped out in an instance will get you teary and emotional.
Bottom Line
There are numerous alternatives to medications if one searches for it. The main purpose is to promote healthy alternatives to chemical packed drugs to keep you safe. We are not in any way discouraging you from using any medications. That is totally up to you. But why not opt for something life-saving.
These methods may seem a little time consuming while popping a pill grants instant relief, but the main point is that these treatments grant health in the wrong run while medications cause other dangerous health problems.
