Natural Ways to Ease Chronic Pain
Strengthening the Mind-Body Connection Can Help Reduce Symptoms
Chronic pain can be physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting. Here are 6 natural ways to cope with chronic health problems.
These six natural ways to ease chronic pain will help strengthen your mind-body connection.
1. Massage therapy does more than alleviate sore muscles. It reduces the chronic pain symptoms found in many illnesses: Parkinson's, stroke, arthritis, fibromyalgia, muscular dystrophies and other stress-related disorders. Massage is effective in palliative care patients as well. According to the Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba, "massage promotes elimination of waste products, improves flow of nutrients to body tissues, and increases circulation to all parts of the body." Even emotional struggles like depression and eating disorders are positively affected by massage; it reduces the amount of cortisol in your system and promotes an overall sense of well-being.
2. Move your body to increase immunity, ease chronic pain, and sleep better. Specific exercises can help with specific ailments. Research shows that tai chi or water classes can help with osteoarthritis; exercise training can improve coronary artery disease. Yoga "can be as important as any medicine," says Dr. Richard Usatine co-author of Yoga Rx. He links specific yoga movements with physical problems such as depression, heartburn, and asthma. Walking, cycling, or running can alleviate anxiety disorders and reduce the risk for dementia. Low impact or chair aerobics can reduce auto-immune conditions like multiple sclerosis, lupus, and arthritis. Physical activity enhances sleep and sexual pleasure by increasing blood flow to all body parts.
3. Sleep eases chronic pain – but pain prevents sleep. Dr Rachel Morehouse is the Medical Director of the Atlantic Sleep Centre and Psychiatry Professor at Dalhousie University. She advises her fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue patients to pinpoint exactly what’s causing their pain and get the most reasonable treatment. Since “pain when you're rested is easier to handle than pain when you're exhausted”, Dr Morehouse stresses the importance of sleep in coping with chronic pain and other health conditions. "Though it's not sexy, the traditional sleep advice is still effective." Sleep little – if at all – during the day because naps rob you of sleep at night. Get up and go to bed at set times. Stay active but avoid exercising in the evening because it keeps you awake. Wind down before you go to bed with music or a book (but not the news). Enjoy healthy food, eat light meals at night, and avoid caffeine.
4. Arm yourself with the protective shield of broccoli. "Mother Nature's foods and natural medicines are more powerful than any drug in the prevention of brain diseases," says author Michelle Schoffro Cook, author of The Brain Wash. It's not just your brain – your heart, kidneys, arteries and even your hair is affected by what you eat. Eating nutritiously can be difficult if you're in pain, have no appetite, or can't absorb vitamins and minerals properly, but it's when you're ill that your body needs nutrition the most. Since they make you feel sluggish and tired, avoid refined sugar, heavy meats, processed foods, and caffeine. Eat fish, whole grains, raw nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, wild rice and of course plenty of fruits and vegetables. Drink healthy juices and fruit blends – and don't forget your broccoli.
5. Spirituality – including prayer, communing with nature and reading sacred books – increases optimism and positive feelings. Pursuing spirituality within a group (a church or synagogue, for instance) increases your social support system, coping skills, and self-image. Recently, researchers found that even people who pray online have fewer negative emotions and higher levels of well-being. Spirituality increases positive emotions and makes you confident that your health and destiny are lined up for the good. Connecting to God or the universe can make you less fearful and anxious, which can help you cope with chronic health problems. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that positive, lasting changes in both the brain and immune system result from meditation or prayer.
6. Strive for balance – the key to emotional and physical health. If you're frantically juggling personal, professional, volunteer and social activities, there's no doubt that your health will suffer. Overdoing it can also include spending too much time alone watching tv, lying in bed, or snoozing. "As for balance, it's important to know yourself and not be foolish in overdoing things," says Dr. Marla Shapiro, host of BalanceTV on CTV. Balance means leaving work or volunteer duties to spend time with family and friends – or pulling away from family and friends to read, walk, or pursue a new hobby. Balance includes experimenting with unique ways to manage chronic pain and increase feelings of health and well-being.
If you found Natural Ways to Ease Chronic Pain helpful, you might try:
