If you are suffering from long term, chronic pain, you will probably be aware that conventional pain relief medications tend to lose their effectiveness after a while…
This is where alternative pain relief treatments, and holistic pain relief remedies and therapies, can really come to the fore and prove their effectiveness.
Herbal pain relief remedies can be very effective, but for the best results, combine herbal remedies with other holistic pain relief treatments.
There is quite a selection of alternative pain relief treatments to try. You should persevere until you find the therapy or remedy that suits you, your personality and your lifestyle the best…
Always remember to consult your healthcare provider before taking any decisions regarding your health.
Acupuncture is a very effective holistic pain relief treatment.
Acupuncture works by inserting needles or sharp points into very precise points on the body.
Traditionally, acupuncture is said to release and relieve blocked energy forces in the body, which can build up, and cause pain.
Many conventional doctors now do believe that acupuncture has a place in modern pain relief.
The W.H.O. (World Health Organisation) actually recognises acupuncture for relief from pain, for over 100 different painful conditions – top of the list is relief from osteoarthritis pain.
Western doctors believe that acupuncture may work by encouraging the release of endorphins and other hormones which block the pain messages to the brain. It can also ease cases of depression and anxiety, which are known to make pain worse.
Acupressure too, has been shown to reduce pain in medical or dental procedures – usually ’acupoints’ on the hand or arm are massaged.
Don’t expect acupuncture or acupressure to be a ‘one-stop’, magical cure – it is likely that several or regular sessions will be needed.
Always go to a qualified practitioner, who can arrange sessions to suit your precise needs.
Osteopathy involves manipulating muscles and joints through touch.
Osteopathy is most useful for back, neck and joint pain, but is very good for muscle pain too.
Osteopathy works on the idea that misalignment of the joints, and tension in the muscles, become a vicious circle that leads to more pain.
Massage of the muscles and joints helps to relax the muscles. This means tension is reduced, and the joints are held in a proper posture and position.
Incorrect posture, and position of the joints, is thought to be one of the main causes of joint and muscle pain - and can also affect other organs and parts of the body, if they are not correctly positioned and aligned, as intended.
Again, you should make sure that you only see a qualified osteopath. Several sessions may be needed, for the best results.
Healing magnets work really well for holistic pain relief.
Magnetic therapy bracelets are effective for all kinds of pain, especially:
arthritis
osteoarthritis
rheumatism
joint and muscle aches and pains
all kinds of sprains, strains, fractures, breaks and injuries
I wear magnetic therapy bracelets all the time, to soothe the persistent joint pain from my M.E. they have worked fantastically well for me, and my father and uncle swear by them too, to help with their arthritis.
I found hypnosis therapy, and especially visualization to be particularly helpful holistic pain relief treatments.
This can work by:
Visualising peaceful and relaxing surroundings
Visualising your pain in a physical shape or form
Visualising a dial to control your pain
After my first self help hypnosis session, I managed to ’dial down’ my joint pain from 60% to just 20%, and am now learning to control pain, while I am out and about.
Try these self help hypnosis sessions, that I found most effective, as a really easy way to learn to control your own pain:
Biofeedback therapies move on from the idea of being relaxed and happy, which helps to block messages of pain to the brain.
Biofeedback involves fixing the patient up to machines which measure functions of the body (but don’t actually have an effect on these functions), such as:
pulse rate
blood pressure
heart rate etc
These measurements can help to measure how relaxed a patient is…
The biofeedback therapist shows the patient how to control breathing and heart rate, to relax him/herself. Using the machines is just as easy way to monitor how well they are doing.
Studies have shown that biofeedback methods are effective for up to 2/3rds of pains, caused by backache, muscle pain and headaches.
As we already know, being relaxed, happy and calm helps to ’block’ the pain messages to the brain.
This means that our thoughts, emotions and moods can help us to control our ’tolerance’ to pain.
Helping to control our emotions – staying calm and happy – helps to control pain.
Counselling, psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (C.B.T.) can help patients to come to terms with their emotions, and control their own thought processes, in any outstanding issues, concerns or stresses.
Chronic pain can certainly have a huge impact on anyone’s life, so counselling can help address issues around this too…
Always use a qualified counsellor, or psychotherapist. You can usually ask your doctor for a referral, if you think you will benefit from counselling sessions for pain, or other issues.
