Pain is essentially a symptom of any underlying health disorder, infection, over-exertion or injury such as a cut, burn, bruise, sprain or strain. It is often experienced with inflammation, and plays an important role in indicating trauma in the body.
The most effective way to address pain is to treat the primary cause. It is very important that the real cause is determined by correct and proper diagnosis from a qualified health care professional. This also applies to the use of pain killers, when the cause is not fully understood - and may result in worsening of the condition.
Once the cause has been determined it can be treated to overcome all symptoms - including pain. Treatment can take some time, so pain relief can be used in conjunction, to make the patient more comfortable. Pain is the most common symptom from which patients seek relief. This means that the over use of conventional pain killing drugs is quite common. Many drug-based analgesics (pain relieving) have undesirable side effects when used long-term. Luckily, there are dietary changes and natural approaches that can be used to help control pain.
| Slows the breakdown of endorphins (natural pain killers), and may also enhance the performance of acupuncture>4 - 500mg every 2 to 3 hours | |
| If inflammation is involved - 2,000GDU to 4,000GDU per day | |
| If inflammation is involved - 1,000mg to 2,000mg 3 to 4 times per day |
Other supplements that may help (taken under medical supervision include high doses of tryptophan, Vitamin B1 or Vitamin B12 (by injection) have been used to treat pain. You should see a doctor or naturopath experienced in Vitamin therapy
| combined - is very often effective - 500mg of each singly, or a formula, 3 times daily | |
| contains aspirin-like compounds and is a traditional pain killer - 500mg 3 times per day | |
| has analgesic properties -500mg 3 times per day | |
| has good pain relieving and anti-inflammatory action -500mg 3 times per day | |
| has pain relieving and muscle relaxing action -500mg 3 times per day |
Other herbs that are analgesic include:
Topical Application of Herbs:
| depletes substance 'P', which triggers pain - apply up to 4 times daily (only on unbroken skin | |
| a traditional remedy for aches and pains - apply as needed |
There are many homoeopathic remedies that can be used to treat various conditions where pain occurs. It is therefore best to refer to the individual health disorder, or visit a qualified homoeopath to evaluate which is the best treatment for you. The following remedies are commonly recommended for many conditions where pain occurs:
Many aromatherapy oils have pain-relieving action, especially when used topically and combined with therapeutic massage. The most commonly used oils are Clove, German Chamomile, Wintergreen, Cajuput, Juniper, Lavender, Peppermint (menthol), Eucalyptus, Camphor, Benzoin, Rosemary and Black Pepper.
Aromatherapy oils need to be diluted at approximately 5 drops per 10ml of base oil. Please note that most of the above aromatherapy oils should NOT be applied to broken skin - even when diluted - except lavender and chamomile.
In general, diet does not have much of an effect on pain, although some factors may assist in controlling inflammation:
It has been suggested by preliminary research, that drinking instant coffee may lower the pain threshold. A general reduction in coffee intake may therefore be helpful if suffering pain.
To reduce inflammation, it is best to avoid foods which have known inflammatory actions. These include:
A general reduction in animal fats will reduce the formation of arachidonic acid - a fatty acid involved in the production of inflammatory chemicals (prostaglandins E2). This means restricting the intake of meat and dairy products.
Increasing oily fish intake will have the opposite (and beneficial) effect. This will supply the Omega-3 fatty acids - EPA and DHA. EPA in particular, encourages the formation of potent anti-inflammatory chemicals (prostaglandins E3) and suppresses the effects of arachidonic acid. So, eating more herring, mackerel, sardines and pilchards will be beneficial.
Other foods that reduce inflammation include:
To help reduce immediate pain and muscle spasm:
Wrap some ice cubes or a bag of frozen peas in a towel, and place on the painful area for 10 minutes - every hour.
Cabbage poultices (an old country remedy) are very effective:
Take two or three outside leaves from a dark-green cabbage. Bruise them with a wooden spoon - warm in a microwave, steamer, oven (or even a warm radiator). Whilst they are still warm (not too hot) place them on the painful joint and hold in place with a towel or bandage. Bran and mustard poultices can also help.
Regular exercise is one of the best ways of helping the body to cope with pain. When we undertake physical activity, we produce endorphins - which have pain-relieving properties. This also makes us 'feel-good'. Of course you should be mindful of the cause and symptoms before any strenuous exercise. It is advisable to discuss this with your doctor before starting any form of exercise.
Studies have suggested that you feel pain more intensely, if you are more than 30% overweight. If this is the case, then losing weight should help, by increasing the pain threshold (see sections on losing weight properly).
Acupuncture for the treatment of pain has been investigated in hundreds of studies - and appears to work in around 70% of patients treated. It is thought that this therapy helps to stimulate the release of the body's natural pain-killers - endorphins. This is improved further with DLPA supplementation. Massage and aromatherapy combined with gentle osteopathic or chiropractic manipulation can also relieve many types of pain.
TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) has been used to treat many types of pain, including labour pain, back pain, tendonitis, shingles and arthritis. It involves the placement of electrical pulses onto the skin. This stimulates the nerves, producing signals which directly compete with the pain messages that travel to the brain - thus diminishing the sensation caused by the original pain.
People suffering anxiety tend also to have a lower pain threshold, although it is of course the pain itself that is often the cause. Whatever the reason, promoting a calm state-of-mind - using relaxation techniques and various natural approaches will help with your ability to cope with pain (see section on anxiety). Various psychological approaches may help to control pain, including, hypnotherapy, biofeedback, relaxation training, attention focusing, placebo effect, and learning to generally accept the existence of the underlying cause.
If you are taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, it is important to know that some may cause you to lose certain nutrients. A multivitamin and mineral supplement will help to offset these losses. It may also be useful to take either DGL liquorice to help protect the stomach lining from damage by these drugs - especially aspirin. Slippery elm or marshmallow is also protective to the digestive system.
The herbs milk thistle and artichoke will help to protect the liver from the burden of certain medicines - particularly paracetamol.
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