No Pain, No Gain? The Best Natural Relief

I decided to watch a bit of the Ironman competition the other night.  They began to feature a man named Lew Hollander.  He looked around 65 years old and they said he was about to complete his 21^st Ironman competition.  That in itself was shocking, but then they went on to say that he was not 65 as I thought, but 80 years old!  My jaw dropped.  Lew Hollander is truly a testimony of what our bodies are capable of doing.

Many people believe that pain, discomfort and lack of physical fitness come with age.  They believe there is nothing you can do about it and you just have to “survive” the best you can.  This is not true!  Our bodies are amazing creations and made to function without pain and discomfort well into our “old age.”

If we experience pain and discomfort, then our body is giving us a message: something is out of balance.  Instead of taking medication to dull the pain, the key is to find the cause of the imbalance and correct it.

Inflammatory Pain

The #1 cause of pain is inflammation.  Whether you are dealing with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis or just over-all aches and pains, inflammation is the likely culprit.

Many things can cause inflammation in the body:

• Injury or trauma
• Infection
• Autoimmune disorders
• Allergic reactions
• Stress

Inflammationwas not meant to be the “bad guy.” It is actually designed to help heal. It clears damaged and dysfunctional tissue from area and creates an increased blood flow causing swelling.  This swelling allows repair cells and protein-rich plasma to gather around the wound to help heal it.

But when inflammation becomes ongoing, it can start causing more harm than good.  In fact, chronic inflammation is a disease.  This type of inflammation can cause serious conditions, including:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• And more

 Anti-Inflammatory Drugs = Terrible Side-Effects

Once inflammation becomes problematic, doctors typically prescribe some sort of anti-inflammatory or steroid.  These drugs may work, but long-term use is harsh on the body.   Steroids actually weaken your immune system and put you at greater risk for infections.  Long-term use of steroids can cause many harmful side-effects, including:

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  Loss of calcium in the bones (increases risk of osteoporosis)
• Cataracts
• Weakened adrenal gland function
• Fluid retention
• High blood pressure
• Weight gain

The list goes on and on. Prolonged usage can actually increase damage and can hamper healing.

Prescription Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories COX-2 inhibitors (NSAIDS) boast even greater side-effects.  Drugs like Celebrex have been linked to heart attacks and strokes.  Celebrex has now been given the black box warning, which is the most dangerous warning for prescription drugs. The drugs Vioxx and Bextra, which work similar to Celebrex, caused around 27,000 heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths before it was pulled off the market.  These prescription drugs should not be taken lightly and you should be fully aware of their possible dangerous side-effects.

Over the counter NSAIDS like ibuprofen can also cause problems if taken long-term.  Long-term ibuprofen use can damage the kidneys, as well as the GI system, causing ulcers and bleeding.  I have read statistics that attribute ibuprofen to around 16,000 deaths a year!  Just because you can buy something straight off the shelf, does not mean that it is 100% safe!

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Single Herb Anti-Inflammatories and Painkillers

There is great news for those who suffer from chronic pain and inflammation!  Natural remedies without harmful side-effects do exist — and they work, even if you are going to do an Ironman like Lew Hollander for years to come!  I am going to highlight some of the ones I have seen work very well for people.  Below are four of what I believe to be the best single herb pain relievers and anti-inflammatories.

Turmeric

Turmeric is the spice that gives curries and most Indian food its bright golden color.  It has been used throughout the centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to treat a plethora of ailments including.  The beneficial compound in turmeric is called curcumin.

Unfortunately, there is not enough curcumin present in turmeric powder to truly achieve anti-inflammatory benefits.  This is why many supplement companies have begun to extract this potent compound allowing us to get the amount we need in order to feel its benefits. Curcumin has matched and even surpassed cortisone pain and anti-inflammatory research.  It contains natural COX-2 inhibitors. COX-2 is a prostaglandins enzyme that causes swelling and inflammation. Turmeric blocks COX-2, thereby preventing and treating inflammation, but without the harmful side-effects!

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Boswellia

Boswellia is another natural anti-inflammatory that has its roots in Ayurvedic medicine.  It works extremely well at reducing inflammation and has helped many find relief from rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.  It is a 5-LOX inhibitor, which like COX-2, is an inflammatory enzyme.  Boswellia can also relieve headaches by opening up the blood vessels that are constricting and causing pain.

Ginger

Ginger is yet another cooking spice used in Ayurvedic medicine.  This pain-alleviating herb has undergone extensive research for its therapeutic properties.  Studies have shown that ginger, taken daily, greatly improved pain, swelling and morning stiffness.  Not only does ginger act as an anti-inflammatory, it also helps to break down the acidity in the fluid within the joints. Combine ginger with turmeric and you have a great source for joint pain.

White Willow Bark

Did you know that chronic aspirin users have less cancer?  This is because COX-2 enzymes surround cancer cells and aspirin is a COX-2 inhibitor.  The downside is that aspirin is also a COX-1 inhibitor, and blocking COX-1 can disrupt the lining of your digestive tract and blood vessels.  This can cause ulcers and leaky blood vessels, which is why I do not recommend the “aspirin a day” that so many doctors promote.

White willow bark is nature’s aspirin.  In fact, aspirin used to be made from the salicin in white willow bark, but in today’s world it is chemically synthesized.  White willow bark has all the benefits of aspirin, without the harmful side-effects like stomach bleeding.  It can take longer to work than aspirin, but it tends to last longer.  It can be used for acute issues like a headache or menstrual cramps, but it can also target chronic pain issues.

When buying white willow bark, make sure it contains 40 mg of salicin.  Taking a total of 80-120 mgs of white willow in divided doses through the day will bring great pain relief.

#1 Natural Pain Relieving Combo

Most of the single herbs I mentioned can work well, but can be greatly enhanced when taken together with other supplements.  Buying each herb separately can be spendy.  Luckily, supplement companies have taken what they believe are the best combinations and put them all together in one pill.

Working in the natural health industry gives me access to many testimonies of what works and what does not.  I have seen the formula below literally change people’s lives.  From knee pain, to fibromyalgia, and even rheumatoid arthritis, I have heard people swear by these this formula’s effectiveness.

Curamin

“The miracle pill. The magic pill. Magic in a bottle.” These are just a few of the names I have heard people call curamin.  Curamin is an award winning pain relieving supplement by the company EuroPharma.

I was really skeptical of Curamin in the beginning, but then I saw it flying off the shelf and began asking others if it worked. From those who tried curamin, I always got a resounding, “Yes, and it has changed my life!”

This is when I began recommending it to my clients. Hearing their testimonies has solidified my belief that this is the #1 natural pain relieving combo on the market.

Curamin is a blend of 4 natural pain and inflammation relievers.

• Curcumin
  Curamin contains a scientifically isolated curcuminoid complex that is 7 times more bioavailable than other turmeric and curcumin on the market.  This allows for optimal absorption and, therefore, noticeable chronic pain relief!

• Boswellia
  Bowellia is a powerful anti-inflammatory that blocks the 5-LOX enzyme.  Combining boswellia with curcumin blocks two of the most significant pain pathways, COX-2 and 5-LOX.

• DLPA (d, l-phenylalanine)
  These two forms of phenylalanine are great pain relievers.  L-phenylalanine boosts the mood elevating chemicals in the brain like dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine.  D-phenylalanine works by blocking a nervous system enzyme that intensifies pain signals.

• Nattokinase
  This natural enzyme is added because of its positive effects on circulation. It allows the other ingredients to travel to where they are needed most.

Dosage is Key

The common strain throughout my curamin success stories was dosage.  You must take more that just 2-3 pills a day in the beginning to see the results.  I like to explain it like this:

If you think of inflammation like a blazing fire, throwing one bucket of water on it is not going to do much.  But throwing several gallons could potentially put the fire out.  Once the fire is out, it does not take much water to prevent it from firing up again.

This is similar to how these supplements work.  Starting out with 6-8 pills a day for a week or so can put the fire of inflammation out.  Once the pain has subsided, you can slowly back down to the recommended 2-3 pills a day.  One man that suffered severe knee pain told me now only needs one pill a day to remain pain-free.

From Pain to Freedom

You do not have to let chronic pain slow you down any longer!  Inside of all of us is a Lew Hollander.  We all have the potential to be fit and pain-free into our 80s and beyond.  You may have no desire to complete in the Ironman, but I am sure you would love to keep up with your kids and grandkids!

Natural pain relief and inflammation relievers can make that a reality.  You have many options to choose from: turmeric, boswellia, ginger, white willow bark and curamin. Step out of pain and into freedom!  You deserve it!

Pain and inflammation is a double-edged sword.  Crucial when you have an injury to help fight infection and clear damaged tissue.  A chronic problem if your body fails to shut off this reaction or activates it when there is no trigger. Before you start taking NSAIDS, which naturally safe alternatives to pain relief do you consider?