Pain management has been going through an evolution. It began with natural elements and materials we found and made into remedies — teas, herbs, etc. — but then went on to have those ingredients distilled via scientific practices and created in labs rather than apothecaries. But now pain management has looped back to be inclusive, holistic and considerate of both practices.
There are many options to help manage your pain alongside traditional methods of pain relief. Some are easily maintained through an adjustment of lifestyle and are also beneficial with the inclusion of relief via oral analgesic like MOTRIMAX™ 12 Hour Liquid Gels.
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Here are five non-conventional ways you can try to help treat your pain:
Acupuncture
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Acupuncture is an increasingly popular form of relief from traditional Chinese medicine. Eastern practices may seem out of the norm in the west but they can bring interesting results. Long thin needles are inserted into specific points on the body — called meridians, known as pathways into your body — and are believed to help rebalance energy flow. Some practitioners believe it stimulates certain nerves and muscles.
Hypnosis
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Hypnosis is an interesting avenue to pursue for pain relief. The conscious part of the brain is temporary out of service during hypnosis, leaving the person relaxed and completely focused on letting go of any sort of distracting thoughts. Our brains are incredibly powerful and, of course, what lets us know we’re in pain. Letting go and focusing, and harnessing that concentration, can leave a profound effect on your body and the pain you’re feeling.
Capsaicin
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If you’ve ever truly felt the heat from eating anything with a chili pepper, you have capsaicin to thank for that. This component is what gives chili peppers their fiery oomph and is something that can help in the relief of joint pain and more. Capsaicin cream, when applied to the skin, that helps relieve pain by decreasing a natural substance in your body — substance P. The downside is it can take several weeks for full relief so this is probably best used with conventional medication.
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Yoga
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One of the reasons why yoga is a popular exercise is that it leaves you feeling truly great. It’s a combination of mediation, stretching, core work, and more that helps you to let go of anything distracting and focus on certain parts of your body. Naturally, this is also a good method of pain relief. It helps decrease joint pain and improve some range of motion while certain types of yoga may also decrease pain linked to the lower back.
Music therapy
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Music therapy as pain relief has two components that rely on our brain. First, pain is registered in our brain by a series of signals — something we already know. However, some studies have shown that playing music, or hearing something pleasant, can release dopamine from the brain that can make you feel good or, in the case of pain relief, better. This is based on perception: the more pleasant you find a song, the less pain you feel.
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