Effective Pain Management: 4 Tips To End The Suffering

Tim was in pain for as long as he could remember.  His back began hurting years ago and never went away.  He had seen multiple doctors who only prescribed him narcotic pain medications, which didn’t really work, or they suggested surgery, which rarely works.  When he came into my office, I tried a different method for getting rid of his pain: I gave him a book.

The book Healing Back Pain, by John Sarno, MD, explains Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) and how to get rid of it. Tim has now been pain-free for several years!

Why Do You Have Pain?

Most physicians treat pain without trying to find out the root cause.  There is always a reason.  I will repeat that…There is always a reason for pain!  We may not be able to always find the reason for your pain, but most of the time, it is possible.

There are four primary reasons for pain:

1. Inflammation
2. Poor circulation
3. Muscle spasm
4. Nerve pain

Each of these primary pain triggers has a different set of reasons for causing pain and, therefore, different ways of treating it effectively.

Pain From Inflammation

The repair mechanism of the body contains hormones that act as “inflammatory mediators,” which switch on the four signs of inflammation:

• Redness
• Heat
• Swelling
• Pain

If there is some injury to the body, these reactions are essential for fighting infection, preventing excessive blood loss and repairing any damage.  However, when there is no injury and these mediators are activated, they can actually do a great deal of harm.  These are all the “-itis” diseases:

• Arthritis
• Tendonitis
• Myositis
• Bursitis
• Arteritis
• Pneumonitis
• Others

The first part in the disease name describes a location and the second part, or the “-itis” describes inflammation.  For example, “Arth-“ refers to joints and “-itis” means inflammation, so “arthritis” is inflammation in the joints.

Inflammation Pain Treatment

The best treatment for inflammation is to get rid of it.  If there is an infection, then it must be treated first.  If there is an injury, it must be given two months to heal.  Otherwise, excessive inflammation comes from our daily habits:

1. 

   • Pinterest
   Forgive everyone.  Don’t hold on to anger.  Let go of the past.  Live in the present.
2. Eat “alkaline” foods.  “Acid” foods induce inflammation.  Moreover, avoid foods that trigger inflammation in you.  Common foods that cause a reaction may be wheat, milk or nightshades, for example.
3. Use REAL spices (not flavorings) in your meals every day.  Turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, oregano, pepper and many other spices have beneficial anti-inflammatory properties that can be harnessed in foods.
4. Exercise daily.  Do more than just a walk: sweat a little and increase your routine periodically.
5. Try the following natural anti-inflammatories:

• • Curcumin: 2,000 mg per day
  • Fish oil: 5 grams per day
  • MSM: 1,000 mg 3 times per day

Pain From Poor Circulation

When a particular area in your body becomes limited in blood supply, the cells start using “anaerobic respiration” and they begin making energy without oxygen.  This builds up organic acids and toxins that can lead to fatigue, spasms, cramps and inflammation.

Examples of pain from poor circulation include:

• Migraines
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic back pain
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Raynaud’s disease

Many of the syndromes associated with inflammation are really circulatory problems.  People with fibromyalgia are often told they don’t really have any particular health problem because their tests for inflammation always return normal.  Since the core pain problem is circulatory, the cause of their pain isn’t detectable in blood tests for inflammation.

Circulation Pain Treatment

The brain is in control of circulation to every inch of the body, except the brain.  Specifically, the autonomic nervous system controls circulation.  In the above example of Tim, he learned why his autonomic nervous system was being hyper stimulated and causing years of pain.  Sometimes it is that easy, but other times it is very complex.  Let me give you some ideas:

1. Let go of all fear, anxiety and worry.

   

   • Pinterest

2. Eat raw foods. Avoid foods that you may be sensitive to. It has been demonstrated that 80% of people with migraines can be cured by avoiding “trigger foods.”
3. Take digestive enzymes such as serrapeptidase.
4. Take magnesium at night, about 400 mg.
5. Use salt on your foods.
6. Exercise to sweat every day. Use different exercises every day.  This provides the most consistent benefit.
7. Adrenal adaptagens and/or glandulars are often helpful, as well.
8. DLPA is often a life-saver for those who can find no reason for their pain.

Pain From Spasm

There are two nerve tracts going up the spinal cord.  One is for pain and temperature, the other is for pressure and position.  Most of our pain medications only work on the “pain” tract and, therefore, don’t work on the other set of nerves.  For example, if I stand on your foot and it hurts, I could tell you to take morphine for the pain, but it won’t work. The pain will not go away until the pressure is relieved.

Examples of pressure pain are:

• Spams of the back
• Cramps
• Tension headaches
• Childbirth/labor
• Kidney stones

When pain comes and goes quickly, is excruciating and then goes away completely, it is most likely cramps.  Cramps are the worst pain human beings experience.  Getting cut with a knife isn’t nearly as painful as the labor and delivery of a child. In addition, arthritis isn’t nearly as painful as a kidney stone.

Spasms or cramps may happen for many different reasons.  The key is to find the reason and remove it. Consider these culprits:

1. Inflammation
2. Poor circulation
3. Electrolyte (salt) abnormalities
4. Nutritional deficiencies
5. Hormone imbalances

Per the usual course, the first issue is to find the cause of the spasm or cramp and, as a result, the treatment will become obvious.  This may not be as easy as it sounds.  What I often do in my office for these kinds of problems is to do “in-vivo” testing.  This means to become the “guinea pig” and start trying things.

Spasm Pain Treatment

Those treatments that relieve spasm include:

1. Heat
2. Ice
3. Massage
4. Acupuncture
5. Balms – menthol creams
6. Magnesium, 400 mg twice per day

Nerve Pain

Lars was 72 years young and a very active entrepreneur.  He had several businesses and kept busy all the time.  However, he had begun noticing pain in his hands that would turn to numbness and tingling at night.  This had been going on in his feet for some time, but he thought it would go away.  Now, he was unable to function well because of his hands.  Just from his history it was easy to tell he had a neuropathy, or nerve pain. So, without any testing, we started him on a program of hyperbaric oxygen, vitamin B-12 shots and folic acid supplements, which completely relieved the nerve pain in both his hands and feet.

Nerve pain happens when the nerves don’t have enough energy because of:

1. Toxins, such as heavy metals
2. Vitamin/mineral deficiencies
3. Poor circulation such as in diabetes, blockages in the arteries or varicose veins

Nerve Pain Treatment

Nerve pain is also treated according to the cause.  I have often found the hyperbaric oxygen and B-vitamin shots helpful.  If heavy metals are present, they must be removed first and then some program of nerve regeneration could be started.  This can all be done conveniently at home.

Detoxification can be accomplished by:

1. Avoiding the offending toxin.
2. Eating lots of raw vegetables, especially green (Cilantro is a better chelator of mercury than even the IV treatment).
3. Drink only water.
4. Take a trace-mineral supplement. Having sufficient essential minerals helps to excrete the toxic ones.

Other treatments include those above for inflammation and spasm.  However, those with chronic nerve pain often need the help of a knowledgeable physician or chiropractor.

The Conclusion To Pain

As you can see, pain management can be quite complex, until you find the trigger and cause of the inflammation, poor circulation, muscle spasm or nerve pain problem.  Once the cause is known, it can be eliminated with the proper treatments. You may want to skip the harmful pain medications and investigate natural options for pain relief.

What has helped you find yourself again when chronic pain is a daily struggle? 

 

Dr. Scott D. Saunders, M.D. (Ask-an-MD) is a practicing physician, specializing in preventative healthcare, who utilizes eclectic health care for the whole family, including conventional, orthomolecular and natural medicine. He is also the medical director of The Integrative Medical Center of Santa Barbara in Lompoc, CA. He went to UCLA medical school and is board certified in family medicine. View natural remedies with Dr. Saunders at http://drsaundersmd.com/