Natural Approaches to Pain

Natural Approaches to Pain

As you are likely aware, it is not necessarily easy to get codeine-based pain medications any more. This has had a huge impact on people who have relied on these effective medications for either chronic or occasional pain management. Doctors are also far more reluctant to prescribe these pain medications, even when the pain is debilitating.

Many people in chronic pain are not managed well by their GP’s and specialists, and are not taught the many possible ways to support themselves to manage their pain, because that tends to take more time than a GP visit can offer. There is a lot of evidence to support natural therapies for pain management, but what I would like to encourage is that you do not suffer alone. There are a variety of healthcare practitioners who work with pain, and no one approach works for every type of pain, or every person with a particular condition. Please don’t give up or feel you have no hope for improvement. 

Of course, pain can come from many causes, and natural therapies always seek to address the underlying cause of any condition, but I will discuss some alternatives to pain management which you may not realise can be very helpful. 

An Anti-Inflammatory Diet can help with pain. 

1. Manage inflammation with diet. A diet which is high in inflammatory foods such as white flour and sugar, will contribute to pain. An anti-inflammatory Mediterranean or plant-based Paleo diet including probiotic and prebiotic foods, and herbs and spices such as ginger and turmeric, can help with pain. Being overweight can contribute to inflammation as excess fat in the body is pro-inflammatory. A healthy gut contributes tremendously to the health of the whole body, lowers inflammation and helps the body produce appropriate endorphins to moderate pain. 

2. One friend who had chronic arthritic pain to the extent he could barely use his hands, and who tried many things for his pain, has changed his life with detoxing his liver, gallbladder and bowels. He now has restored most of his function that he thought was lost. Detoxing can have a powerful effect as hyperacidity and toxins in the body can contribute to pain-causing inflammation. Toxins can also contribute to an underlying viral load (eg EBV), which may contribute to low-grade inflammation.

3. Omega 3 fatty acids, either as a supplement or in the form of fatty fish, walnuts, chia seeds and linseeds, have been shown in many studies to lower inflamation and help with arthritic and inflammatory driven pain. Omega 6 fatty acids tend to be more pro-inflammatory, so it is important to balance these with Omega 3s. 

Exercise including yoga, can be beneficial for pain

4. Exercise is an under-utilised method for managing pain for many conditions. While those in pain often shy away from exercising, studies show that resistance training, yoga, pilates, and even walking, can all benefit people in pain. Exercise decreases the inflammatory and pain response, it releases feel-good endorphins in the brain which relieve pain, it lowers stress, and it makes sure your organs and tissues all receive enough oxygen and nutrients. Yoga is a particularly good exercise for those with chronic pain, as it helps release the tension that builds up when we defend against chronic pain.

5. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine have a lot of evidence behind them for reducing pain, and acupuncture is used in hospitals in China and other places around the world for pain management.

6. Chiropractic and Osteopathy have helped many people with pain for centuries, and I highly recommend you find a practitioner you resonate with, and get regular treatments the same way you see the dentist. I see my chiropractor once a month and it is so worth it. These modalities affect and balance the whole nervous system. 

Massage has been shown to help pain

7. Massage has obvious benefits for many in pain. Whether its a skilled therapeutic or deep tissue massage to iron out the knots and perhaps release underlying emotions, or a relaxation massage to soothe away stress, massage has many benefits. To be touched when in pain, appropriately, can release many endorphins that relieve pain, for long after the touch has finished. Even a partner’s or friend’s loving touch can help ameliorate pain.

8. Experiment with heat and cold to find what works best for your pain. Traditional Naturopathy uses Hydrotherapy, which means warm and cold water treatments, to help with pain and inflammation. While a warm bath can soothe and relax, especially with the addition of epsom salts and essential oils, surprisingly it is normal cold tap temperature water that is most effective therapeutically to bring circulation to a particular area and relieve pain. Many can testify that cold water showers and ocean, lake or river swims can be very helpful to the aches and pains they suffer.  THe Wim Hoff approach has bought more attention to this in recent years.

9. Studies into Mind-Body Medicine have revealed immense benefits from meditation, mindfulness, relaxation and stress management to support those in pain. It is all about finding what works for you, and becoming more aware and grounded in your body, while refocusing on what is calming and soothing to your nervous system. Psychological factors such as catastrophising the pain, and feeling helpless or anxious, can make pain worse. The app Curable is very accessible and evidence-based, for learning to manage chronic pain. Here I will also mention that while pain can be isolating, so may social activity be beneficial.

There are many herbal medicines which studies and tradition have shown help with pain

10. Herbal medicines. There are many herbs that have been studied that have been shown to help with pain in different conditions. Some herbs that are used for pain are: 

• St John’s Wort for pain that is related to nerves, such as sciatica

• Valerian root and cramp bark are useful for cramping and spasms

• Boswellia, Willowbark and Devil’s Claw can be useful for arthritic and back pain

• Ginseng for fibromyalgia

• Ferverfew for headaches and rheumatoid arthritis

• Jamaican Dogwood for nerve pain, headaches and as an antiinflammatory

• Californian Poppy especially to help with sleep that is disturbed by pain

• Turmeric and its active constituent Curcumin to lower inflammation, and for arthritic pain

• Ginger for joint and muscle pain

• Kava kava for any pain that is related to, or worsened by, tension or anxiety, and for toothache and mouth pain 

• Arnica externally in creams and rubs is widely used

• Essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, kunzea, fragonia all have benefits for pain when used externally

I frequently use professional strength herbal products for clients with pain of the inflammatory, chronic arthritis type. In particular one called TherActive Pain. I used it myself last year when lower back pain and inflammation was waking me at night and was so grateful for its effectiveness. One client has weaned himself off an addiction to codeine-based pain killers with this product. I find it very effective for many people, if they take the right dose. One of the important things with pain is to stay on top of it, if possible, because it is much easier to treat before it is bad. 

For those with pain that is caused by or made worse for tension, I sometimes use AnxioCalm, which contains Kava Kava, which is a powerful relaxant and anti-anxiety medicine. 

There are more supplements that have evidence for pain: PEA is gaining popularity after some good studies; Vitamin D, Magnesium, Resveratrol, Zinc, NAC all have evidence of benefit for some types of pain.

As you can see, there are a variety of methods and approaches that can be helpful in pain management. I will mention here that even something as simple as too much coffee can cause pain for some people, perhaps because of its acidity. I have also mentioned this to many people who never considered their daily coffee habit may be behind their joint aches, and some have found they feel much better without it. I used to have this problem until I discovered that drinking coffee after food ameliorated that issue for me.

We are all different, and respond differently to pain and to pain medicines and therapies. Fortunately in recent years, our understanding about how pain functions has grown, and with it, different ways to approach pain.

I hope this article has been helpful in reminding you, or informing you, of many different avenues to explore to help manage any pain you may experience. For individualised support, please get in touch. As you can see it is quite a big area and individualised support, especially when the pain is affecting your quality of life, is important.