With the current opioid epidemic in the United States right now, there is no wonder why many people are looking for alternative ways to relieve pain. Even if that pain is chronic, there are many, natural ways to help stop it. Whether you have lower back pain, arthritis, or neck pain, these remedies can help you.
Yoga
There are roughly 36.7 million people who participate in yoga across the United States today. Yoga classes are types of fitness classes that are great for many things, and pain is one of them. According to a study published in the journal Spine, after two months of twice weekly practice, people suffering from lower-back pain saw a 42% reduction of pain and a 46% reduction of depression symptoms. Yoga promotes relaxation as well as stress-coping mechanisms, so this could be why it is great for relieving pain.
Massage
According to Prevention.com, a massage can relieve back pain, osteoarthritis, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, neck pain, and surgery-related discomfort. Massage therapy boosts levels of endorphins and serotonin to reduce stress hormone levels. Stress is greatly connected to pain, according to Science Translational Medicine, so it makes sense why this method works. Statistically, significant research results show massage reduces pain along with significant reductions in anxiety.
Acupuncture
When you’re cycling through pain reduction methods in your mind, acupuncture probably doesn’t come up. It should, though. Acupuncture can relieve chronic pain, migraines, tension headaches, and arthritis pain. Tiny needles are inserted into specific points of the body to help promote blood flow. The increased blood flow does wonders for pain. It also affects the activity of adenosine, which is an amino acid that becomes active in the skin after an injury to ease pain.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Wait, cognitive methods can reduce physical pain? You bet! It can change the way you think about pain as well as reduce stress. Daphne Miller, MD, an integrative physician with a private practice in San Francisco, says that CBT is probably the approach that works best for chronic pain. It is significantly more effective than standard treatments for patients who experience pain all over their bodies.
If you suffer from chronic pain, there is some good news. You can avoid the risk of addiction to painkillers and practice natural methods of pain relief. Try yoga, massage, acupuncture, or cognitive-behavioral therapy to relieve your pain the natural way.
