Those of us living with chronic pain issues know that this affliction touches on every part of our dayly living. From affecting your mood to limiting your mobility, acute and chronic pain can make it difficult to live a valued and fulfilling life. All natural pain relief remedies can make a significant difference to your symptoms and your quality of life.
Far too often, those suffering from pain turn to practices and products that can have a further negative impact on their health and can even lead to loss of life. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, heroin abuse kills 129 people each day in the United States alone.
As awareness of the opioid crisis grows, more and more people are turning to all natural pain relief treatments to help decrease their pain symptoms. A number of these home remedies show great promise for delivering effective pain relief, but the search continues for a genuinely effective and safe treatment.
To help suffering patients, we’ve put together this list of home remedies to help ease pain and help you get back to living a happy and fulfilling life. Many of these are easy to incorporate into your daily routine — and while they may not cure your chronic pain outright, they can help take the edge off and contribute to brighter healthy days.
Natural Remedies for Reducing Chronic Pain
Exercise your Body’s Natural Pain-Killers
Our bodies produce all natural pain relievers, known as endorphins. Endorphins fight pain by binding to opioid receptors in your brain, naturally reducing the perception of pain, and boosting a persons mood, and positive outlook on life. Fascinatingly, endorphins work in much the same way as several opioid pain killers like morphine or vicodin. Giving your body the boost it needs to kick endorphin production into overdrive can significantly reduce your perception of pain and leave you feeling healthier and happier all around.
The most effective method to boost endorphin production and find all natural pain relief is through moderate exercise. Using the treadmill will Get the blood pumping with cardiovascular exercise. This is a positive way to help your body feel its best and deliver a surge of pain-relieving and stress-free endorphins on your schedule. Of course, those suffering from chronic pain may frequently find that their mobility is limited and that certain types of exercise are difficult or impossible to perform comfortably. In such cases, start slow; you may be surprised by the benefits of a brief walk outside in the park or other light exercises. And with time, the boost you get from this light walking may help make it possible to engage in more significant and endorphin-boosting activities like the treadmill.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Our bodies need all the proper nutrition, and our diet is one of the most important contributors to that. From vitamin D3 deficiencies to over-eating in sugar and processed foods, your diet may contribute to your chronic and acute pain.
A number of studies have shown that a poor diet can be a major contributor to chronic pain. Increasing your intake of healthy whole-grains, vegetables, and fruit can give your body the crucial fuel it needs to work and feel its best.
Many foods also naturally and safely boost your body’s endorphin production. 72% Dark chocolate, spicy foods, and moderate alcohol consumption have all been shown to have a positive effect on endorphin levels and contribute to a happier mood and reduced severity of pain. Additionally, high-carbohydrate foods are not healthy but often linked to endorphin production, and a modification to your healthy diet may help fight off chronic pain.
Get More Vitamin D
Although vitamins and minerals may seem like an unusual tip for all natural pain relief, some university studies have shown a link between Vitamin D deficiency and chronic pain, especially in the lower back. In fact, a 2005 study from the University of Michigan found that 93% of participants suffering from persistent musculoskeletal pain were deficient in Vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D3 is an important part of many of our most vital physiological functions. However, it only occurs very rarely — and in very small amounts — in the food we eat. For many suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain, an unknown Vitamin D deficiency may be a contributor.
However, this is easily addressed by spending just a little more time in the sun. When ultraviolet rays from the sun hit our skin, the body naturally begins to produce Vitamin D. A little bit of sunshine isn’t just good for your mood, but can also be a safe and effective way of reducing the severity of musculoskeletal pain.
For those consumers in a wheel chair or confined to a walker or who live in areas without ample sunlight, Vitamin D supplements are also available on the internet, and allow pain sufferers to get the Vitamin D their bodies need even when circumstances would otherwise make it impossible.
Anti-Inflammatories
Although inflammation is one of our immune system’s most important tools, inflammation is also one of the most common contributors to significant and chronic pain. When the inflammatory response is overactive, it can cause tissues to swell and put pressure on nerves. This sends a pain response to the body, which is the root cause of many, if not most, chronic pain conditions.
Turmeric supplements are another common anti-inflammatory that many pain sufferers swear by. A moderate daily dose of turmeric may have a significant impact on your perception of pain.
