Stress, injury or surgery can lead to acute or chronic pain and subsequent chronic illness. Naturopathic approaches, mental health support, and regenerative IV therapies, acupuncture, medical massage, and nutritional coaching are foundational services that can provide the healing and restoration needed.
There are several areas that need to be investigated thoroughly, and an in-depth understanding of available therapies might be helpful in addressing the presenting pain issue:
- Identify an area of injury causing pain. Sometimes the cause is not as it seems.
- An extensive History and Physical should be performed to rule out medical and physical causes of pain.
- Appropriate Imaging (Xrays, MRI, CT Scan) related to an area of injury should be performed if the cause of pain is undiagnosed.
- Labs to r/o underlying medical issues, including Food Sensitivities should be performed.
- Follow a Hypoallergenic Diet or Anti-Inflammatory Diet. Eliminating foods from the diet that have been found to be highly allergic for many people or foods that often lead to inflammation may result in an overall decrease in inflammation, resulting in a decrease in the expression of pain.
Follow a Hypoallergenic Diet or Anti-Inflammatory Diet. Eliminating foods from the diet that have been found to be highly allergic for many people or foods that often lead to inflammation may result in an overall decrease in inflammation, resulting in a decrease in the expression of pain.
Use of Anti-inflammatory herbs, if indicated.
Turmeric/Curcumin is a common kitchen spice used in many dishes such as stews and curries. However, it has been used in Ayurvedic Medicine for centuries for its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as for overall health. Using a good quality source of this herb is very important to assure the best results.
Hemp Oil interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, an internal system with built-in receptors for cannabinoid compounds. The cannabinoid compounds in the hemp product intercept the pain pathway through the function of this system, resulting in a reduction in inflammation. This is very helpful in the management of pain, as inflammation is often implicated as a primary cause of pain and illness. (1)
Homeopathic remedies in the form of pellets, creams, and injections can be very helpful in the treatment of acute and chronic pain. Homeopathy is a practice of medicine that is over 200 years old. developed by a German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Samuel Hahnemann, a German Physician, created homeopathy as a natural therapy to stimulate the body’s own healing powers. Homeopathy has been used for over 200 years all over the world in the treatment of acute and chronic conditions, including pain issues. (2)
Chinese Herbal medicines are taken orally in the form of tinctures, teas, capsules or pellets, and topically as creams or patches, can provide pain relief, often in conjunction with acupuncture.
Acupuncture is shown to be an effective treatment for pain in research studies over the years. It has been recorded that practice acupuncture has been practiced for over 5000 years. Those who practice acupuncture theorize that by inserting needles into meridians, or channels of communication between organ systems in the body. Through the insertion and stimulation of the needles, energy can be released or redirected, eliminating the cause for pain or illness, or leading to a restoration of energy as needed.
IV and Oral Vitamin Therapy may be needed to address nutritional deficiencies. A body out of balance is more prone to injury. Over the years, published research studies have demonstrated the role Vitamin C plays in tissue repair as well as in the management of acute and chronic pain. (3) IV therapies can address the problem immediately by flooding the bloodstream with nutrients that are available as they infuse. Oral therapies can be very effective but may take the body longer to process and make available to the tissues.
Massage Therapies as indicated can be very instrumental in promoting healing and mobilizing and ridding the body of substances in the body that cause pain. Massage therapies that can be very therapeutic are medical massage, Cranial-sacra therapy, lymphatic massage, Medical Massage, Reiki I/II/III, Repetitive Use Injury Therapy (RUIT), Hot Stones, Trigger Points(Hand and Wrist) Therapy, Healing Hands (American Indian Healing Art), and Lymphatic Massage.
The use of electro-medical frequency delivery machines and low-level light lasers have been shown to be very effective in the treatment of chronic pain issues. These therapies use energies, whether very low currents of energy or light to speak to the cells. Low-level light lasers send light to the mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) to promote healing and dispel the signals that result in pain..
In today’s world of opioid overuse, added to the burden Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories place on the kidneys, and the damage overuse of Tylenol has on the liver, alternative therapies are well worth investigating. Treatment by a licensed and experienced Naturopathic physician, acupuncturist, chiropractor or other holistic healthcare practitioners can be life-changing. And, isn’t your life worth it?
Please call A Place to Heal Wellness Center to schedule an appointment today
1. Burstein S. Cannabidiol (CBD) and its analogs: a review of their effects on inflammation. Bioorg Med Chem. 2015 Apr 1;23(7):1377-85.
2. Cucherat M, Haugh MC, Gooch M, et al. Evidence of clinical efficacy of homeopathy: a meta-analysis of clinical trials. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 2000;56(1):27-33.
3. [1] Chen S, Roffey DM, Dion CA, Arab A, Wai EK. Effect of perioperative vitamin C supplementation on postoperative pain and the incidence of chronic regional pain syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin J Pain. 2016; 32(2):179-85.