How to Manage Chronic Pain Naturally
Chronic pain is not one particular condition, and there can never be a strict one-to-one condition to treatment correlation between chronic pain and any single treatment. Much depends on the patient in question, and even more depends on what is causing the pain. Nevertheless, chronic pain conditions do have certain things in common as well as specific treatments that are normally prescribed. For example, chronic pain conditions are very often caused by inflammation in one or more parts of the body; anti-inflammatory drugs and treatments are normally prescribed as a result.
Despite how varied chronic pain conditions can be – and how specific to each individual patient it is – one area of medicine that is very often turned to by sufferers of chronic pain is naturopathy. Naturopathic medicine, most broadly defined, is that which makes use of natural medications and traditional medical practices in the context of modern medical science. Kiya Longevity, a company providing naturopathic consultations, say that one of the most common conditions their patients have is chronic pain. This is precisely because the naturopathic approach has proven highly effective against chronic pain.
The Naturopathic Approach
The first thing to note about the naturopathic approach to managing chronic pain is that sometimes no drugs are prescribed at all. Rather, what is so “natural” about this approach is that many treatments are in fact lifestyle changes and practices which are engaged in over a period of time. This is a central part of the naturopathic approach. Chronic pain sufferers do not go to naturopathic doctors for pain killing drugs but instead for a comprehensive long-term and all-natural treatment plan.
Naturopathic Principles
To understand this a bit better, it is worth turning to the principles that underpin the whole naturopathic approach. The basic idea is that traditional medical practices – specifically those put forth by modern medical science – are integrated into a careful assessment of the patient’s individual condition. Patient education is also crucial to this approach.
Sometimes, specific natural substances will be prescribed, but they will always be integrated into a long-term plan for the patient, one that is tailored to them and specifics of their particular condition.
Natural Ways to Manage Chronic Pain
So, with that in mind, here follows then some of the natural treatments that could be prescribed for chronic pain. Even without a comprehensive plan, you can try any of these today.
Hydration Plan
Dehydration is well known to make chronic pain worse. Accordingly, one of the simplest natural remedies– yet one which involves a diligent long-term approach and education of the patient – is simply to stay hydrated. By consuming enough water each day, chronic pain can be much easier to manage.
Dietary Plan
Of course, what you eat is sure to have a bearing on the intensity of any chronic pain you are suffering from. Again, this goes back to inflammation. Many foods are known to have anti-inflammatory effects, including leafy greens, fatty fish, and asparagus. However, even some healthy foods can be positively bad when it comes to inflammation. These include tomatoes, eggplant, and dairy. A naturopathic doctor (sometimes in conjunction with a nutritionist) will usually work out a comprehensive dietary plan for a patient.
Exercise and Relaxation
The physical approach to managing pain can be split into doing active exercise, which improves inflammation and releases pain-reducing endorphins. Then comes the relaxation and meditation plans, which will typically involve things like yoga and mindfulness exercises, all of which will be part of any given naturopathic pain-management plan.
Ultimately, the natural approach isn’t the way to achieve fast results, it is the way to achieve lasting results.
