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Finding natural methods to treat chronic pain—a problem that affects one in four Americans.
More than one quarter of Americans aged 20 and older have a problem with pain, according to a 2006 report from the National Center for Health Statistics.
Think about it. This means pain affects more Americans than heart disease, diabetes and cancer combined. Although many sufferers tend to accept chronic pain as a part of life or a sign of aging, new nature-based treatments and therapies may make those aches and pains yesterday’s news.
Read on to find out which studies are giving pain sufferers hope for relief—the natural way.
Pain-free, naturally
Magnetic pulses: Researchers at Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, found that a handheld transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device can interrupt the hyperactive neurons in the brain that are often responsible for launching a migraine. Of the subjects tested, 39 percent were pain-free within two hours of initial treatment.
Bromelain: An enzyme extracted from stems of pineapples, bromelain has shown promise in numerous studies for relieving all kinds of inflammation, including swelling caused by sports injuries, surgeries and arthritis.
Tart cherries: A recent University of Michigan study showed that a diet enriched with tart (not sweet) cherries reduced inflammation up to 50 percent in animals.
Dead Sea bath salts: A 2006 study published in Rheumatology suggested that balneotherapy, or bathing in water enriched with minerals, may be effective in treating lower back pain.
Back that pain up
Although it has many applications—including alleviating neck and shoulder pain, and joint and muscular-skeletal problems—therapeutic viniyoga has been found to be exceptionally effective in treating chronic lower back pain. Viniyoga emphasizes breathing and individually tailored movements that lengthen the spine.
In fact, it was more effective than therapeutic exercise in treating lower back pain, according to a December 2005 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Emily Large, a physical therapist and the only certified viniyoga therapist in Florida, says that it’s a combination of different factors that makes viniyoga so beneficial.
“[It] combines flexibility, strength, coordination, balance and endurance into one very efficient practice,” says Large.
In addition, viniyoga is tailored to the needs of the individual so Large can customize poses for each student during the classes she teaches at Bindu Yoga Studio in West Palm Beach. For more information, visit livinglargetherapy.com.
Mind over muscle
Almost all illnesses and chronic conditions are aggravated by stress. Meditation for Wellbeing founder Mordy Levine says that by reducing stress through meditation, we can lessen that aggravation and even aid in the healing process.
The Highland Beach resident, and meditation teacher for more than 20 years, cautions that meditation is meant to calm the mind. It should be used as a complement to traditional medicine but not as the solution to physical ailments. Beat stress the really old-fashioned way with Levine’s beginner “sitting meditation” technique.
Sitting Meditation
To develop a routine, it’s good to do this at the same time every day when you have a quiet 15 or 20 minutes to yourself.
- Find a comfortable place to sit where you can keep your posture straight. Relax and close your eyes.
- Focus on your breathing (always through the nose) as it occurs naturally for a few moments. Try not to think about anything. Each of the following steps should be done for five minutes.
- Take a deep breath. After you inhale and exhale, say the number “one” in your mind. Take a deep breath again, and, after you exhale, say the number “two.” Continue until you get to 10, and then start over. If you get distracted, which is normal, just continue where you left off.
- To continue, do the same breathing exercise, but say the number before you take a deep breath. Just breathe naturally at your own pace.
- Last, just breathe deeply without counting, and focus on the sensation of breathing—either the air as it passes through your nose or the expansion and contraction of your chest.
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