Chronic pain can be excruciating, taking a heavy toll on your mental well-being and dampening your enthusiasm for life. This pain often stems from poor lifestyle choices, inflammation, and other factors. It’s a national epidemic in the US and the most costly health problem when factoring in healthcare costs, lost productivity, and the negative impact on relationships and quality of life.
The most common kinds of chronic pain
Pain can originate from an illness or accident, either ongoing or one from which the person has long since recovered. The most frequent type of pain is back pain, with 70%-85% of American adults experiencing it at some point in their lives. Arthritis is another leading cause, affecting over 40 million people in the US.
Chronic arthritis can cause insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and even depression and anxiety. The most common types include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a painful joint condition that affects larger weight-bearing joints, such as knees, hips, feet, and back. Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation of the joint lining, impacting smaller joints like fingers and toes.
Causes and triggers of chronic pain
Chronic joint pain is often a sign that your immune system is attacking your joints in an effort to protect you. This can cause inflammation and destruction of your tissues. Most inflammatory conditions begin in the digestive tract, with damaged gut lining leading to “leaky gut syndrome.” This immune hypersensitivity creates inflammation in your joints and throughout your entire body, resulting in chronic pain. This syndrome can be improved through optimal nutrition over time.
A healthy diet that avoids common triggers like antibiotics, preservatives, alcohol, overuse of medication, and refined foods and sugar is essential for a healthy digestive tract. Studies have proven a relationship between a healthy diet and lower inflammation.
What drugs work for chronic pain?
Simply taking drugs will never cure the root cause of your pain, and most pain-relief drugs have significant and even deadly side effects. Some synthetic drugs can be used effectively for pain, but stronger pain relievers like narcotic drugs can be addictive if taken for more than three weeks. The anti-inflammatory drug prednisone is only safe at a normal dose for less than two or three weeks. Longer or more frequent usage can lead to horrible and irreversible side effects.
The optimum approach for chronic pain
A multidisciplinary approach led by a pain management team of specialist doctors, physical therapists, anesthesiologists, psychiatrists, counselors, and nurses is the best intervention for chronic pain. Pain clinics can manage your prescription drugs in the safest, most effective way and offer massage, hot baths, or electrical stimulation; physical therapy; acupuncture; and emotional and psychological support.
Other options for dealing with chronic pain
- Consistent exercise can help trigger pain-relieving endorphins in your body
- Eliminate refined products and eat whole foods instead
- Get plenty of Omega-3 fish oils, which can markedly reduce joint stiffness and pain
- Avoid trans fats found in fast food and processed foods
- Take natural supplements for pain reduction, such as bromelain, boswellia extract, capsicum, devil’s claw root, ginger extract, nobiletin, stinging nettle leaf extracts, Amur corktree, willow bark, Korean angelica, and keratin
- Combat stress to help cope better with pain and start healing
- Try a liquid cleanse to detoxify your body and quiet down your immune system
- Eat food as close to raw as possible for stable blood sugar levels
By utilizing these resources, natural remedies, and nutritional options, you can manage your pain and regain control of your life. Committing to a program of true health can significantly improve your quality of life despite chronic pain.
