Chronic pain whether it is from arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, or any number of other conditions can take it’s toll on you. Constant pain wears down your immune system, your nerves, and leaves you tired and cranky. So what pain remedies are available?
Each of us have a different level of pain tolerance. A small group of people can deal with an exceptional amount of pain but most of us are somewhere in the middle and require some assistance for our aches and pains.
The pharmaceutical companies certainly offer a variety of pain medications, as well there are many over the counter choices, and some excellent natural treatments that you should consider.
If you’ve been watching the news in the last few months you know that some of the arthritis medicines, specifically Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra have come under fire because the appear to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. In fact Celebrex is currently the only one left on the market and it is being closely watched by the FDA.
Now these drugs have drawn some serious attention but one must realize that Aspirin, Ibruprophin, Alive, and other similar over the counter drugs also have some heavy risks attached to them. As a chronic pain sufferer you will have to decide what are acceptable risks and what are not. There are many people that simply would not be able to function without the assistance of pain medication.
When choosing pain remedies always consider all of your options and try to choose the remedy that works and has the least amount of risk associated with it.
There are many prescription pain medications available. Acetaminophen which is found in Tylenol is probably the #1 over the counter remedy, as well as Ibruprophin which is found in Advil, Motrin, and other over the counter NSAIDs. There are anti-inflammatory drugs such as Naprosyn, Celebrex, Diclofenec, and Naproxen. And then there are the big guns – the prescriptions that are narcotic drugs such as Morphine, Percocet, Tylenol 3, Torodol, as well as other opium or codeine based products. The problem with these drugs is that they can be highly addictive.
Thankfully most of us need something less than the big guns but still even these other drugs can cause side effects or work less effectively over time as the body adapts to their presence. So there are some natural pain remedies that you might consider.
Lakota has gained much recognition in the past year or so because it has been effective in reducing pain in arthritis sufferers across North America. It a natural mix of herbs that includes Boswellia Bark, White Willow Bark, Yucca, Devils Claw, Sarsaparilla, and Feverfew. All of these herbs are known for pain relieving and anti-inflammatory qualities. A treatment worth looking at.
Comfrey root formulas and St. John’s Wort Oil have also proved effective for reducing inflammation and pain in joints including sprains and dislocations, as well as arthritis and back pain.
There are also many joint formulas available that help the body heal itself. Many have MSN and Glucosamine in them. In fact medical studies have shown that these two ingredients are affective in both arthritis and osteoporosis. And Glucosamine also helps the cartilage rebuild itself.
White Willow Bark is a centuries old Chinese pain medicine. In fact Aspirin has duplicated the active ingredients of this natural bark, that’s why white willow bark is often called “herbal aspirin.” The active ingredient is salicin which converts to salicylic acid in the body. It can used to relieve headache, chronic pain, menstrual cramps, muscle aches, back pain, and other acute or chronic pain conditions.
Acupuncture and acupressure are also alternative pain remedies you should consider trying. As is physical therapy, exercise, and chiropractic treatments.
Sometimes you obtain the best relief by combining prescription and alternative or herbal pain remedies. Relief is important to your overall well being but you should always work towards the maximum pain relief with the least amount of risk or negative impact on the body.
Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory. This means that as a publisher you may reprint the articles that are included in our site, as long as the article is unedited and the author box is included with it's live hyperlinks.
