10 Natural Ways to Relieve Pain

The only way to get relief from persistent pain is to take a tablet. These natural, research-based ways to pain management can also help you feel better.

Pain is terrifying. Everyone has experienced pain at some point in their lives, but if you have chronic pain, the prospect of living with it every day for the rest of your life can be frightening and overwhelming. That's why it's so easy to grasp for the first — and simplest — thing you're offered to help you feel better. Unfortunately, this is frequently pain medicine, which can lead to a whole new set of health issues as well as addiction.

I had chronic pain as a person with multiple sclerosis that was both physically and emotionally painful until I chose to be proactive in removing as many barriers to wellness as I could. I had fewer and fewer terrible days as I grew more diligent with my self-care. I only had two painful flare-ups last year, which is a great health-care success story.

If you use pain medication or suffer from chronic pain, try making the following lifestyle modifications as complementary techniques:

1. Master your mind

Pain is perceptual, which means that how you perceive pain is heavily influenced by your brain. As a result, different people react differently to painful stimuli.

When you're having aches and pains, all you can think about or talk about is how horrible you're feeling. Your impression of your level of pain will decrease if you learn to adjust the way you talk about pain. Instead of replying "I feel dreadful," say "I feel better today than I did yesterday" when someone asks how you're doing. It will become more natural and easier to find good things to say about your pain as you gradually modify the way you talk to yourself and others about it.

2. Keep a pain journal

Pain is a cunning adversary, and it will deceive you into believing that you will never be free of it. Keep a pain journal to record your pain levels, self-talk, food, exercise, medication, and other pain management approaches to outsmart pain. It may seem counterintuitive to keep a pain journal, but you'll soon learn that it's really beneficial for medical appointments, therapy, personal reflection, and identifying trends and triggers. Having anything written down allows you to see what works and what doesn't.

3. Exercise—even when you don’t want to

When you're in pain, exercising may seem like the last thing you want to do, yet aerobic exercise is a crucial pain treatment approach. Many people with chronic pain are scared that exercising will make their pain worse. In chronic pain patients, however, delaying mobility worsens pain and disability. Exercise is a pain rehabilitation approach that improves both physical function and pain severity with little side effects, according to the National Institutes of Health.

However, it is critical to discuss with your doctor and begin with a reasonable fitness routine. Make your first workout a five-mile run, for example, rather than a five-mile run. Low-impact aerobic exercise, such as walking or swimming, for 20 minutes each day will improve your health, attitude, and pain level. Gentle stretches can also help you improve your flexibility, body strength, and range of motion.

4. Talk it out

Because pain is perceptual, talking about it with someone who can give you honest feedback is beneficial. Speaking with a skilled therapist can be beneficial because they provide a safe environment for you to talk about your pain while also requiring you to take responsibility for your pain management.

Patients with chronic pain frequently suffer from anxiety and sadness, which qualified therapists are aware of. All of these issues must be addressed since they are mutually reinforcing. Many of the lifestyle adjustments that help with chronic pain also help with anxiety and depression, which is fortunate.

5. Get to the point

Acupuncture is a treatment in which very thin needles are inserted into specific pressure points on the body. It promotes the creation of serotonin, a mood-regulating molecule, and releases endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. While acupuncture is typically viewed with skepticism, evidence shows that treatment can help relieve chronic pain in the lower back, knees, and neck. It may also aid in the prevention of migraine headaches and the reduction of tension headaches.

If needles give you the creeps, acupressure is a good alternative. Instead than using needles, the practitioner applies deep pressure to certain parts of the body with their hands.

6. Rest

According to the National Institutes of Health, clinically significant sleeplessness affects 53% of chronic pain sufferers. Your nervous system must slow down in order to fall asleep, but persons with chronic pain frequently have an overactive nervous system, making falling and staying asleep challenging. Unfortunately, insufficient sleep makes you more susceptible to discomfort. This may soon become a vicious cycle: you can't sleep because you're in pain, and you can't sleep because you're in agony.

While insomnia is a medical condition for which your primary care physician can provide treatment, there are things you can take to help yourself. Develop behaviors that teach your brain to relax and recognize when it's time to sleep, such as:

• Every day, go to bed and wake up at the same hour.

• Establish a nighttime routine that includes doing the same things in the same order every night. Take a hot bath and read an inspiring book an hour before going to sleep, for example.

• Don't look at your phone, computer, or television in bed.

• Dim the lights in your bedroom and expose yourself to more sunlight during the day.

7. Watch what you eat

Fred Tabung, PhD, a researcher at Harvard's T. H. Chan School of Public Health's Department of Nutrition, warns about the deleterious impact nutrition can have on chronic pain. He claims that chronic pain is frequently caused by chronic inflammation, which is frequently induced by food. This is actually good news, according to Tabung, because nutrition is something that can be changed to reduce chronic inflammation.

Whole fruits and vegetables (particularly dark green vegetables), nuts, legumes, and whole grains are all cornerstones in an anti-inflammatory diet. Sugar, animal products, and processed foods, all of which cause inflammation, should be avoided.

Changing your nutrition, like any other lifestyle adjustment, may be tough and time-consuming. Begin by identifying one or two recipes that you enjoy. Make sure you tell yourself you're looking forward to sampling new foods rather than seeing the diet as a punishment.

8. Recognize your triggers

Because everyone reacts to stimuli differently, you must learn to listen to your body and recognize your own pain triggers. Avoid junk food if a junk food binge creates a painful flare-up, even if you enjoy the taste. Always be prepared to protect yourself from the heat if you notice your pain level rises substantially when you become hot.

You'll probably notice that the larger triggers are clear as you begin to pay attention to your body, but the subtle triggers take longer to detect and understand. Keep track of what you notice and be patient with yourself.

9. Make adjustments as needed

People who suffer from chronic pain frequently try to disregard their agony in order to help others. While you don't want your discomfort to take control of your life, you should pay heed to your body's signals and make required modifications. If you want to spend an enjoyable day with your family, you might want to forego a physically hard day at an amusement park and instead plan a gentler day at home with games and activities.

The goal is to avoid the two extremes: on one hand, pushing yourself too hard and doing too much, and on the other hand, using discomfort as an excuse and doing nothing. Find a healthy, balanced approach that you can adapt on good and bad days.

10. Take a personal inventory

Ask yourself these questions and write down your honest answers to have a solid idea of what works and what doesn't in your pain management.

What are some of my favorite hobbies that I can do on good days, when I'm not in as much pain?

What can I do on terrible days when I'm in a lot of pain to keep myself busy?

What chores around the house are too difficult? What can be done to make them easier?

What changes could I make at work to make it easier and more comfortable for me to conduct my job?

What people in my life motivate me to be the best version of myself? Who, on the other hand, reinforces my sense of helplessness? What can I do to ensure that I spend more time with those who empower me and less time with those who cause me to fall short of my potential?

It may seem impossible or overwhelming to get healthier, stronger, or pain-free, but it is achievable. You don't have to complete everything at once. Choose one or two lifestyle modifications that are now feasible for you. You will feel confident and strong enough to make additional changes as your pain level drops. What was previously a vicious cycle of anguish can now be transformed into a healing cycle.