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Natural Pain Relievers Part 2 | Barger Chiropractic of Folsom

Part two of this article, natural pain relievers from Barger Chiropractic of Folsom, deals with anti-inflammatory foods and supplements.  Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, is quoted as saying, "Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food."

Eat Pain-Relieving Foods

When it comes to controlling pain and inflammation, food is a critical piece of the puzzle.  The standard American diet (SAD) consists of an excess of sugar, too much of the wrong types of fat, loads of red meat and processed foods.  You can decrease inflammation and ease the pain and discomfort associated with it by switching to an anti-inflammatory diet consisting of healthy whole foods.

There are eight categories of pro-inflammatory foods (foods to be avoided): processed white flour foods, processed sugars, animal milk products, fast foods, hydrogenated oils, nitrates, saturated fats and night shade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers and eggplant).

The following is a list of foods high in fiber, low in preservatives and fat, and infused with invigorating aromatic spices that help reduce pain and inflammation: wild salmon, bright colored vegetables (except night shades), green or white tea, fresh whole fruits, olive oil, purified water, lean poultry and beef (preferably organic), dark green leafy vegetables, organic oatmeal and aromatic spices (turmeric, ginger, cloves, garlic, onion, coriander, cayenne pepper, mustard seed).  

Natural Plant Based Substances to combat inflammation

David C Leopold, MD, director of Integrative Medical Education at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in San Diego, had the following to say in a WebMD feature story:"I think supplements can be the cornerstone of good pain management. People are also looking to supplements more and more. They have less tolerance for the side effects of traditional pain medications. They want something different."

If you don't like the idea of being on a NSAID such as Advil, Celebrex or Naprosyn forever, Dr Leopold says "There are natural alternative to NSAIDS that have similar mechanism." They include green tea, turmeric, boswelia, ginger, cat's claw, devils claw, omega-3 oils and white willow bark. People on blood-thinning medications must check with a doctor before using any of these pain supplements.  

Leopold and other experts single out turmeric for its pain relieving effects. "It works really well," said Tanya Edwards, MD, medical director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. "I've had patients with arthritis who start using turmeric and are able to go off their NSAIDS entirely."

Vitamin D

A number of studies have linked low levels of vitamin D with increased levels of chronic pain.  One study looked at the vitamin D levels of people with chronic pain who were using opioid painkillers (Vicodin, Oxycodone etc). The people who had low vitamin D levels needed almost twice as much medication to control their pain.  

Dr. Edwards checks vitamin D levels in many of her patients with chronic pain. "Personally, I've seen miracles. I've found that it can have a huge benefit in the symptoms of people with fibromyalgia."  She says that it is helpful with chronic bone and joint pain too.

In a Mayo Clinic study, 13,150 individuals were seen in an inner city clinic between Februrary and June 2002 with persistent non-specific musculo-skeletal pain. The researchers found that 140 of 150 people (93 percent) were low on vitamin D.

In conclusion, the following statement was make in the journal Medical Hypothesis: "More than 200 potential drugs ranging from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, gold salts, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, methotrexate and cyclosporine are being tested (to control inflammation).  None of the drugs have been found safe; all are know to produce form mild to serious side-effects."

With that in mind, it is no wonder more people are turning back to the wisdom of Hippocrates...and to their doctors of chiropractic. Utilizing safe, simple and effective ways of caring for your body, your doctor of chiropractic will help keep you focused on your health and on achieving optimum function, not just pain. 

Your chiropractor will help to find the cause.  If pain in your body is the result of structural imbalances, your chiropractor will help untangle the mystery and balance your frame for optimal function. Ask your chiropractor in Folsom, CA for more information on achieving optimum health naturally.

Natural Pain Relievers from Barger Chiropractic of Folsom, CA

Quite a few victims of chronic pain in the Folsom, Ca area would really love to be less dependent on painkillers to manage their pain.  How can this be done? Natural pain relievers could be the answer. The following two articles list some items that may help. The first list is some simple actions that you can take that might help you to rely less on pain medications and feel more in control of your life. 

Cool it with ice.  If there were only one therapy available to me at Barger Chiropractic of Folsom, I would choose ice. Most pain comes with some level of inflammation, and ice is the best natural way to reduce this inflammation.  Ice also helps by acting as a local anesthetic.  Sports injury specialists generally advise the use of ice for the first 24 to 48 hours after any injury.  Time and method of use can vary, depending on site of involvement, sensitivity of the patient and type of injury.  I prefer to massage the area with an ice cube rather than apply blue ice packs.

Release your endorphins. These are the natural chemicals your body produces to block pain signals from reaching your brain.  As you body's natural pain reliever, endorphins can be as strong as many of the strongest pain relievers. They help alleviate anxiety, stress and depression, conditions that can accompany and make worse chronic pain.  Endorphins are produced during aerobic exercise.  Any activity that gets your pulse rate up for a sustained period of time will release pain relieving endorphins into your system. And no, you don't need to run a marathon, or even a lap around the track to get this effect. Interval training incorporates brief, intense exercise for 30 seconds.

Feel the Heat.  In sub-acute and chronic cases, applying some form of heat, a hot water bottle, gel or rice-hull filled pad heated in the microwave, can ease your pain. Benefits of heat include: increase the flow of healing oxygen and nutrients to the damaged area and suppress the pain signals being sent to your brain.  The use of stick on heating pads, like Salon Pas, releases a low level of heat for several hours and can be worn under your clothes.

Loosen up.  The joints of your body are designed for movement, and if your motion is limited, it can make the joint pain worse.  Most everyone can benefit from stretching the muscles, ligaments and tendons surrounding your joints.If you have chronic low-back pain or neck pain, you may find it takes weeks or months of stretching to loosen up your spine and soft tissues, but you will find sustained and meaningful pain relief following the increased in motion.  Chiropractic adjustments can also hasten the recovery of stiff and painful joints.

Get Sun Exposure. All it takes is about 15 minutes of direct sunlight during the summer mid-day to allow your skin to produce a good dose of vitamin D.  A Boston university study of 221 men and women with knee osteoarthritis showed that those people supplementing with 400-800 IU of  vitamin D experienced less pain than those who did not get any vitamin D. More details will be covered in the next article that details natural herbal and vitamin supplements to help you manage your pain and regain control of your life.