Although the pain originates from many different areas – often from the back, the joints, areas of old injuries, frequent headaches, or any number of sources. The traditional treatment route of drug therapies has become a route that many do not want to travel down. Luckily, there are many alternatives that have been producing good results for people of all ages in all walks of life.
Application of Heat or Cold to Injuries
If the injury is new, after determining that there is no fracture or serious internal damage, the application of cold packs for the first few days after the injury helps to reduce swelling and ease the pain around the affected tissue. After a few days, switch to heat packs to draw blood flow to the damaged tissues, and speed healing up. The warmth will help disperse swollen areas so that swelling goes down.
NSAIDs
There are some amazing over the counter pain medicines available. If you do not have problems with bleeding or ulcerations in the gastrointestinal tract or pre-existing allergies, medicines that fall into the category of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are inexpensive, non-prescription, and very effective pain relief. Aspirin was the first of these drugs to come on the market and is still very effective for pain. Aspirin, however, significantly affects clotting and thins the blood. Many people take an 81mg aspirin daily just for the blood-thinning effects, which is beneficial for those with a history of heart attack or blood clots.
Ibuprofen is a newer NSAID and is slightly longer acting than aspirin. The blood-thinning properties of Ibuprofen are far less significant than aspirin, but Ibuprofen has been found to be hard on the lining of the GI tract, especially when taken on an empty stomach. Caution should be taken when using this drug, and any signs of bleeding in the GI tract should be reported immediately to a healthcare professional. There are other choices, like Aleve, which may suit certain people better. Overall, these drugs do a great job of alleviating pain, reducing inflammation, and as a bonus, they reduce fevers, as well.
Deep Tissue Massage
Massage is a natural way to help deal with pain – especially back pain, neck pain, or pain to the extremities. The cost of a masseuse has kept frequent massage cost-prohibitive until recent technology has brought the massage gun to the public. Massage guns provide very penetrating massage to tissues, stimulating blood and lymph to flow more effectively and working knots out of painful spasmed muscle groups.
At a cost of a couple of hundred dollars up to $500-$600, the cost isn’t extraordinarily low, but not completely unaffordable. They are easy to use and can be used every day on injures or areas of chronic pain. Product ratings consistently indicate that massage guns are more effective than older designs of massagers.
Get An Adjustment
If your pain is musculoskeletal in nature, visiting a chiropractor or a D.O. to get an adjustment may be the treatment that restores you to a pain-free life. Usually, X-rays are taken after the initial consultation, and a series of adjustments are suggested for your plan of care. D.O.’s and chiropractors use varying tools aside from skeletal adjustments, with the main goal being pain control and restoring range of motion. Though these practitioners sometimes claim to be able to treat illnesses of the internal organs that are unrelated to skeletal, muscle, or nerve injuries, it is up to the patient to decide if pain emanating from the head, chest, abdomen, or pelvic cradle can be improved with the help of skeletal adjustments.
Eastern Medicine, Including Acupuncture
Eastern Medicine has a long history of treating any and all kinds of health problems and injuries. Practitioners of Eastern Medicine may prescribe herbal blends that are chosen specifically based upon your individual symptoms and health history. Acupuncture is a well-researched practice that uses small needles that are placed in specific pressure points to treat pain and other problems. Finding a reputable Acupuncturist might be hard to do in rural areas, so there is also acupressure that can be self-administered using kits that are easily illustrated for use. Small, rigid metal or crystal spheres adhere to the skin over pressure points, and the beads are massaged to trigger the desired effects.
Achieving pain relief may require you to shop around for a few different treatment plans. Thinking outside of the box is a good idea if your pain is hard to treat, or if you are avoiding addicting pain medications.
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