Alternatives to Drugs: Natural Pain Relief
Learning how to manage chronic pain is an art. I know, from years of experience of dealing with a series of injuries. I also know how even low level pain can darken my mood and limit my activities. Doctors are quick to prescribe NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or other pain killers, regardless of the potential serious side effects, before exploring nutritional options. Few doctors, with the exception of naturopaths, consider the use of nutrients for natural pain relief, even though research has demonstrated their effectiveness.
I’ve found that taking two fish oil capsules and a 1,500 mg dose of glucosamine faithfully every day, lets me cut my ibuprofen intake in half on all but the most active days. My stomach is thankful for that. I also take vitamin D regularly, which is associated with relief from chronic pain.
Here are some natural pain relievers worth trying to help you cut back on or even eliminate potentially harmful medications. Please note that these nutritional alternatives may take weeks or months to be fully effective.
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Fish Oil to Reduce Inflammation: Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Raynaud’s syndrome (sensitivity to cold), exercise-induced muscle soreness and dry eyes all improve when you take fish oil, which fights inflammation by reducing your body’s production of inflammation-causing prostaglandins.
What to Take: At least 1,400 mg a day, plus cutting back on saturated fats and eliminating trans fats. See your doctor first if you take any kind of anti-clotting medications, such as coumadin.
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Vitamin D for Back Pain and Muscle Aches: New research shows that vitamin D deficiency might be a major cause of unexplained muscle and bone pain, especially lower back pain. It’s also been associated with muscle weakness, increased risk for falls, and increased fractures, including microfractures of the spine that lead to painful spinal compression. A study found that 93% of people with chronic musculoskeletal pain were vitamin D deficient! The researchers recommended that all people with persistent, non-specific musculoskeletal pain be screened for vitamin D deficiency.
What to Take: 1,000-2,000 IU of vitamin D daily, or more with medical supervision.
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Magnesium for Muscle Cramps and Migraine Headaches: Magnesium is used both intravenously and orally to treat muscle cramps and migraine headaches. An essential mineral, it plays an important role in helping smooth muscles, nerves and blood vessels to relax. Magnesium deficiency causes an increase in sodium and potassium inside cells, which makes blood vessels constrict and can cause high blood pressure, migraine-like headaches and muscle cramps. Low levels of magnesium may induce cerebral arterial vasoconstriction and increased platelet aggregation. Both interfere with blood flow to the brain. Lots of people are low in magnesium, especially diabetics and those taking diuretics or steroids.
What to Take: 400 mg a day, from food and supplements, or more with your doctor’s OK.
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CoQ10 for Natural Migraine Relief: Taking CoQ10 decreases the frequency of migraine headaches by about 30% and the number of days with headache-related nausea by about 45%. CoQ10 enhances the ability of endothelial cells in blood vessels to relax, which can lower peripheral resistance and systolic blood pressure. CoQ10 may serve as an effective natural migraine treatment.
What to Take: 100-400 mg of CoQ10 daily. It can take up to three months to see an effect, and taking it during a headache does not seem to help.
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Probiotics to Improve IBS Symptoms: Certain strains of probiotics, including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, improve symptoms of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), such as bloating and abdominal pain. Improvement is seen within about one week of starting treatment. These “friendly” bacteria grow in the intestines and provide a microbial barrier to infection. They also seem to influence immune cells in the intestines, enhancing immunity and naturally reducing inflammation. In infants, they help to reduce the likelihood of developing food intolerances. It’s especially important to take probiotics during and for at least a few weeks after antibiotic therapy. The potency of a probiotic is measured by colony forming units (CFUs).
What to Take: A shelf-stable probiotic formula containing at least 3 billion CFUs of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, and Bifidobacterium bifidum.
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Glucosamine for Natural Osteoarthritis Pain Relief: Glucosamine reduces pain by about one-third and improves functionality in people with osteoarthritis of the knee. It also seems to help hip and spine pain. But it doesn’t just relieve pain. It seems to slow the process of joint damage. People taking glucosamine for up to three years seem to have significantly less joint degeneration and less joint space narrowing, compared to people taking a placebo. That’s because, unlike NSAIDs, which can actually contribute to joint breakdown, glucosamine stimulates metabolism of cartilage-building cells and cells that secrete joint-lubricating synovial fluid. It can take four to eight weeks to see an improvement in symptoms.
What to Take: 1,500 mg of glucosamine, once a day or in three divided doses. Take glucosamine with chondroitin or MSM for maximum effectiveness.
The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Relying on prescription or over-the-counter pain medications can lead to addiction, stomach ulcers, liver damage and even heart attacks. Anything you can do to reduce their usage and protect your health is worth the effort, even if you can’t completely eliminate the need for medication. Collectively, the above supplements can provide stong natural pain relief as alternatives to potentially dangerous drugs for a number of debilitating ailments.
