Millions of Australians have come to rely heavily on painkillers for treating chronic pain. Painkillers are commonly used for headaches, nerve pain, stomach pain, muscle pain and joint conditions such as Arthritis. The problem is, the focus is on dulling the pain, with an ‘out of mind, out of sight’ mentality. We need to focus on finding a long-term solution to prevent the pain, so that the symptoms do not become chronic.
By Stephen Eddey
While pain killers are excellent at reducing pain, these drugs do not address the cause of the pain and often just mask the symptoms.
An issue with the stronger pain killers is that some can have dangerous side effects and can be physically addictive. Common side effects associated with painkillers may include light-headedness, dizziness, sedation, itching, constipation, nausea, vomiting, and sweating.
Fortunately, there are excellent pain management alternatives with no known side effects. The cause of pain is often associated with inflammation in the body. Activity in nervous tissue pathways leads to the experience of pain. Such activity can be stimulated or modified by both internal and external stress. Internal stressors include damage and/or inflammation.
There are various natural therapies that work towards managing the source of the pain rather than just the symptoms. An example of this is a natural rosehip therapy which is scientifically and clinically proven to assist with joint pain, joint inflammation and arthritis. A natural rosehip powder can discourage the attack of the excess white blood cells on the joints, and thereby addresses the cause of inflammation whilst alleviating the pain.
There are many other natural alternatives to manage aches and pains. Headaches can often occur as a result of dehydration in the body, and can be relieved by simply re-hydrating through drinking a glass of water. Headaches may also be related to food intolerances, with the most common food groups being dairy, wheat, chocolate and eggs. Food intolerance can be diagnosed with an IgG ELISA test. Consult your healthcare practitioner to find out which foods could be triggering your pain.
Natural stress management is also important, as stress is a common cause of inflammation in the body. Breathing exercises, meditation and exercise are all natural ways to manage stress and reduce overall tension in the body. Relaxation techniques such as breathing mindfully, restores the body to a calm state and encourages the body to reverse its stress response. Reducing tension in the body will help lower your blood pressure, slow your breathing and reduce your heart rate – all of which can have long-term health benefits.
Sleep is another essential part of healthy living, as it allows your body to naturally repair itself. Sleep can prevent the onset of headaches and migraines and heal muscle tissue naturally, without the use of drugs. Acupuncture is another alternative therapy which is believed to assist with pain and has very low risks associated with it.
Pain killers can be effective when used short term to treat painful conditions, but should not be used long term as they can be highly addictive, and do not address the cause of the pain. Pain killers also have numerous side effects. In contrast to pain killers, there are natural alternative that are highly effective to assist with headaches, nerve pain, stomach pain, muscle pain and joint conditions such as Arthritis, along with an exercise and lifestyle program, a good measure of sleep, aches and pains may be reduced dramatically.
Stephen Eddey is the Principal of Health Schools Australia and is a freelance Naturopathic Consultant for Rose-Hip Vital® with GOPO® www.rosehipvital.com.au
