The pain warns that something is not right. Its cause can be discovered but sometimes, especially when it is chronic, it becomes the problem to be treated, something that can be done with natural therapies.
Pain is an unpleasant perception that informs us of an alteration in the organism. Our difficulty in living it and understanding its meaning has led to the creation of medicines that try to silence it by all means. But painkillers are not always effective and produce up to 25% of all adverse drug reactions.
Faced with the intense and continuous painful situation, we have to think that the body is going to start to solve the problem. If the pain continues, we will produce endorphins – endogenous substances with analgesic effect – to calm it and, in addition, we can address it with natural treatments. In this article we show you 7 natural tools to relieve pain.
1. DIET AND FASTING
Diet and fasting is the basis of a treatment to relieve pain. The vegetarian or vegan diet has been shown to be effective in mitigating pain, especially if a good selection of foods is made:
- Flaxseeds and walnuts contain omega-3, which reduce inflammation and improve circulation, which can reduce a number of discomforts.
- Eliminate inflammatory foods, such as fried foods, heated fats, refined flours and added sugars, which increase sensitivity to pain. In some cases, the discomfort may disappear when a food is suppressed, as may occur with dairy, wheat, or a particular food to which the person is sensitive.
- Ginger and turmeric are anti-inflammatory spices that can mitigate all kinds of pains.
It is also possible to choose foods for specific discomforts. Dr. Neal Barnard collects in his book Foods that fight pain (editorial Paidós) some examples:
- Rice and mint for digestive discomfort.
- Foods abundant in vitamin B6, such as oatmeal, for back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome or sciatica.
- Magnesium-rich foods for fibromyalgia.
- Fasting, on the other hand, under the control of an expert doctor, is effective in avoiding chronic and acute pain. Drs. Dean Ornish, an expert in diet and lifestyle to treat heart disease, and Michael Michalsen of Berlin’s Charita Hospital have even used it in angina and rheumatoid arthritis.
2. BODY AWARENESS EXERCISES
Physiotherapy can prescribe exercises to treat various pains, but it is interesting that the patient learns to establish a conscious dialogue with his body, so that he knows how to adapt the routines to the subtle changes he experiences day by day.
The overall goals are to improve flexibility, reduce muscle tension and increase power to promote joint stability. In addition to specific techniques, walking and running are the exercises for which we are most prepared, strengthen us and produce endorphins.
3. MEDICINAL PLANTS
Plants contain analgesic and anti-inflammatory active ingredients. An expert doctor in phytotherapy can choose the most appropriate plant and preparation for each patient, but some common indications are:
- Harpagophyte for muscle and joint pain. You can take 1 or 2 capsules of 250 mg every 8 hours. It is not indicated if you suffer from stomach ulcer.
- Chamomile for menstrual pain. It is massaged with the essential oil on the lower belly.
- Arnica for back pain and bruises. It is applied in gel or ointment, with or without mint, with a massage on the painful area.
- Birch for the pains of osteoarthritis, arthritis and gout. You can drink 2 cups a day of infusion.
- Cayenne pepper is applied in the form of ointment, lotion or gel on the painful area. It contains capsaicin, which acts on nerve pain receptors.
4. ACUPUNCTURE
Pain management is one of the most proven and widespread indications of acupuncture. So much so that it is applied in pain units of public hospitals in Andalusia, in the Hospital of Torreon or in the Terrassa Health Consortium.
A study published by the prestigious Journal of American Medical Association conducted a review of 31 investigations and concluded that acupuncture is effective in the treatment of back pain, arthritis, chronic headache and shoulder pain.
5. ACUPRESSURE OR ACUPRESSURE
From the instinctive gesture of applying our hands on the painful area to relieve our pain or that of others, all massage techniques have emerged. One of them is acupressure or acupressure, which consists of stimulating acupuncture points. To achieve maximum benefits, it is advisable to go to a professional who makes a diagnosis and selects the most appropriate points, but it is possible to do a simple self-treatment yourself.
The pressure is made with the thumb, with which small circles are slowly drawn on the chosen point. With each circle, more and more pressure is applied until you feel how the muscle fibers begin to relax under the fingers. When an area without muscle is stimulated (over the skull, for example) only slow, steady, circular pressure is applied. The stimulus is maintained for several minutes. First you feel a dull pain, not sharp, that disappears. Three points that are often used to relax and relieve discomfort are as follows:
- Governor Glass 20: It is located in the highest part of the head and one of its indications is headache.
- Large intestine 4: The point is located on the inside of the membrane that joins the thumb and index finger. It is considered the most analgesic point and is used in headache, teeth and cramps, among others.
- Gallbladder 20. Located at the base of the skull, between the insertions of the sternocleidomastoid and the trapezius, in the depression under the occipital bone. It is used in headaches, back and torticollis, among others.
6. HYDROTHERAPY WITH COLD OR HEAT
The application of heat or cold by water or steam is used for the treatment of pain within the framework of thermal therapies.
- Moist heat is recommended, for example, in muscle contractures and stiff joints. At home you can apply a bag of hay that we will have heated by steam, a hot clay poultice or a simple wet and hot compress.
- The application of cold is usually recommended after intense exercise to relieve muscle aches. It can be applied by means of cold compresses, ice massage or by using a local sprayer. Superficial cooling decreases muscle spasm and raises the pain threshold. Cold applications should not be used in patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon, hypersensitivity to cold, cryoglobulinemia or paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.
7. REDUCE PAIN WITH YOUR MIND
Relaxation and meditation techniques teach how to relate to pain in another way and increase the threshold of perception.
- Autogenic training, a type of self-hypnosis that can be learned in a short time and is based on the concentration on sensations of weight, coolness and heat in different parts of the body, has been used to relieve tension headaches.
- Meditation based on breathing, body (body scan) or walking favors distancing or detachment from pain, whether physical or emotional, and allows it to be managed. According to a study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, meditation even modifies the physical structure of the brain, including areas involved in the emotional and cognitive perception of pain.
- Yoga combines meditative attitude, breathing, and body awareness with the adoption of postures that can be selected and adapted to treat each type of pain. Several studies show the effectiveness of yoga in the treatment of low back pain, arthritis or menstrual pain, among other discomforts.
