We've become so dependent on medicine. It seems that every little ailment is dealt with a pill and some physicians are far too eager to hand out prescriptions.
There are different reasons why you may want to stay away from pills for pain relief. They include desensitizing the body's reaction to ever increasing doses of medication, the cost and availability of drugs in certain areas or the inability to find something that works over the counter.
Whatever Your Motives, These Seven Natural Alternatives Will Help You Get Rid of Pain Naturally.
1. Go herbal.
When discussing natural painkillers we usually talk about herbal medicine. That's because it's been a tried and tested alternative for generations.
Whether it's using cloves to ease a toothache or white willow bark to treat inflammation and back pain, there's something in mother nature's garden for almost any type of pain.
The Internet is such a wonderful tool in this regard because you can look up your symptoms and see what the consensus is on the right herb for your pain.
2. Relaxation.
Activities that put you in a relaxed frame of mind can work well with other natural pain relief treatments. They help to reduce pain quicker because when you relax, you loosen up tense muscles.
There are so many relaxation techniques you can try - and one of them is bound to work for you.
Meditation is great, rhythmic breathing is another popular way to relax and many people swear that they've never felt as relaxed as when they've used hypnosis.
3. Acupuncture.
This ancient Chinese treatment is becoming more popular around the world to relieve pain.
Acupuncture works by inserting very thin needles into different points in the body, stimulating the central nervous system in the process. It's suggested that acupuncture encourages the release on endorphins in the body - chemical agents that act as painkillers.
4. Exercise.
**Exercise helps to eliminate pain caused by nerve damage by reducing certain inflammation-causing chemicals in the body
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Taking into account the type and the cause of pain, an experienced professional can help you to put together an exercise regimen that allows you to be active without injuring yourself or worsening your condition; and meditation will help you enjoy your exercise routines.
5. Hot and cold treatment.
Both hot and cold treatments have their benefits. Heat therapy is beneficial for reducing the feeling of chronic pain - pain that lasts over a long period after the initial cause of pain has healed.
- Apply a hot water bottle or a hot pad to encourage the flow of oxygen and nutrients, and for sore muscles, sustained warmth can work wonders.
- Cold treatment - applying an ice pack to an ache - is effective on inflammations which cause pain by compressing tissue surrounding the affected area. Ice acts as a numbing agent to provide temporary pain relief, and it works better with acute pain on newly sustained tissue injuries.
- Many athlethes swear by hot and cold showers - where you would alternate between one minute of hot and one minute of cold water. Repeat three times.
6. Massage.
Massaging a sore area reduces inflammation, similar to the effect of anti-inflammatory drugs.
The Group Health Research Institute in Seattle studied how massage affects pain relief, and in one study, senior researcher Daniel Cherikin found that massage had the same effect on reducing pain as standard treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs.
Over longer periods, massage actually provided pain relief sooner than drugs did.
7. Meditation.
One of the most frustrating things a person going through pain can hear is that it's all in the mind.
Still, dwelling on the pain only leads to feeling more miserable. Chronic pain sufferers struggle trying to lead a normal, active life without feeling discouraged or even depressed.
Meditation is a tool that can help you forget all about the pain. It might take you longer to get to the point in which you clear your mind of all thought, but you can still get there - and probably even quicker if you use guided meditation for pain relief audio tracks.
When you find something that relieves your pain, make a conscious effort to focus on the healing effects it can bring about.
Experiment with combinations of different techniques to get rid of pain and be patient if you don't notice an immediate effect. The local pharmacy doesn't need to be your first choice when fighting pain - there are so many natural solutions that help.
How do you relieve pain? Do you use medication or do you get rid of your pain naturally? Which one do you prefer? Do share your thoughts with us, they are appreciated!
