How to manage your pain without pills

Pain remains a pain, whether you’re sore after an intense exercise session or need to catch your breath after only one flight of stairs. But exercise is important to manage pain and inflammation, boost your energy levels and mood, and ensure a good night’s rest.

Do you know what you can do to manage your pain on your own and when you need medical attention? Here’s how.

Practical ways to manage pain

According to Dr Russel Raath from the Chronic Pain Center in Pretoria, the long-term use of pain medication can have serious health consequences. “In the short term, it can cause drowsiness, nausea, constipation, and slow breathing. Long-term consequences include addiction, liver damage, breathing problems, heart disease, stroke, and hormone imbalances that can lead to infertility and sexual dysfunction.”

Dr Raath gives these practical tips to manage pain without medication.

• Heat or cold
  Use ice packs (like a bag of frozen veggies) immediately after an injury to reduce swelling. Remember to never place ice directly on the skin. A hot water bottle is ideal for relieving pain caused by muscle or joint injuries.
• Cognitive behavioural therapy
  This psychological therapy can help you to change your mindset about pain. It is especially valuable when learning how to self-manage chronic pain.
• Meditation and yoga
  Our experience of pain is directly influenced by our emotional well-being. Practicing meditation; listening to music; and doing yoga, stretching, or low-intensity exercise (like in a pool) will reduce your pain, keep you moving, reduce stress, and improve your mood.
• Massage
  This ancient practice is suitable for soft tissue injuries (somatic pain), but should preferably be avoided if the pain is in the joints. It is also not necessarily an appropriate long-term treatment.
• Acupuncture
  Acupuncture has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Thin needles are inserted in specific places in the skin with the aim of restoring balance in the body, promoting healing, and stimulating the release of natural painkillers (endorphins).
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy (TENS)
  This involves low-voltage electrical currents that are applied with the help of electrodes and cause a pain-relieving reaction in the body.

Nature’s medicine chest

Dr Raath explains that food choices and supplements such as magnesium, zinc, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids can also play a vital (and healthy) role in pain management and relief.

• Cayenne pepper can slow down the messages between the nerves and the brain, which relieves pain.
• Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties that can relieve pain, especially in the joints.
• Essential oils (such as rosemary, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, and clove) can provide relief for everything from stiff muscles to headaches and painful joints.
• Ginger is another natural inflammation fighter that promotes pain relief and muscle recovery.

Don’t ignore this pain

Sometimes you experience pain that changes from a dull to a sharp, intense, or throbbing pain. This could be a sign of a break, tear, or underlying health condition. Dr Raath emphasises that you should get professional help if the pain:

• Impedes your movement, such as a sharp pain that prevents you from moving a body part, drastically restricts your movement (for example, you cannot bend your leg or lift your arm above your head), or completely stops you in your tracks.
• Occurs at the site of a previous injury or operation. Pain in places where you previously received treatment or underwent surgery may indicate another underlying problem.
• Is accompanied by deformity, swelling, or bruising. Always consult your doctor if anything looks out of the ordinary, especially if you experience frequent swelling or bruising.
• Doesn’t subside at all. If you do not experience relief after a few days of rest, ice, or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine, or if the pain remains constant or worsens, you should seek medical help.
• Is accompanied by other symptoms. If the pain is so intense that it causes nausea or vomiting, or if you experience fever or chills, consult your doctor immediately.

Whether you’re seven or seventy, pain is something that affects everyone. Turn pain into gain by listening to your body, managing it as much as possible without pills, and seeking a medical professional’s advice if your patience (and frozen veggies) run out!