5 Natural treatments for chronic pain that actually work…
Chronic pain is extremely prevalent across the world. It causes a lot of suffering physically, mentally and emotionally but it doesn't have to. If you have been going down the path of extensive treatments for your chronic pain but with no real improvement I urge you to try the natural, science backed treatments below.
PEA
PEA (palmitoylethanolamide) is a fatty acid amide compound produced naturally by the body to help regulate pain and inflammation. PEA is released in response to an immune system activation inflammatory process however in some chronic conditions the body can be under producing PEA which can lead to ongoing pain. In chronic cases of pain PEA supplementation in the form of powder or capsules can be really helpful. It works through the endocannibinoid system and has anti-inflammatory, neuro-protective, anti depressant and anti-convulsant properties. PEA in micronised or ultra-micronised form is best absorbed and utilised by the body. A 2023 literature review found that PEA has been shown to be very safe, well tolerated and can be taken alongside other pain medications.
Herbal medicines
Herbal medicines are an incredible natural alternative to pain medications but they can also be prescribed alongside other medications when guided by a practitioner. There are many herbal medicines with natural analgesic or pain relieving properties. My main go tos for pain relief in clinic are Californian poppy, Devil’s claw, Jamaican Dogwood and Vervain. I also commonly prescribe a lot of anxiolytic herbs as the levels of anxiety, insomnia and depression that coincide with chronic pain are very high understandably. Some great herbs to address these concerns include Passionflower, Schisandra, St Johns Wort, Lemonbalm and Kava.
Pain Reprocessing Therapy
Pain is a danger signal that is processed and contextualised by the brain. In cases of acute pain it is designed to get your attention and stop you from creating further damage to the affected area. However in cases of chronic pain your pain signals may be a false alarm sent by the brain to keep you safe in the absence of tissue damage. A great example of this is in patients with phantom limb pain. They may have lost the entire limb in an accident however they are still experiencing excruciating pain in those affected limbs. How could this be possible? Well the neural pathways in the brain are still there rather than physical damage to the tissue. Pain Reprocessing Therapy(PRT) is a fairly new, science backed form of pain treatment based around pain education, calming the nervous system with specific pain focused tools and retraining your brain to become desensitised to chronic pain. As most chronic pain sufferers have experienced your levels of fear, stress, frustration and hyper fixation on the pain determine how much pain you will be in at any given time. A study published in 2022 on the effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo on patients with chronic back pain found that 66% of patients were completely pain free or nearly pain free(0 to 1/10 pain scores) post treatment for 4 weeks with PRT. Working with a PRT trained pracitioner can seriously shift your relationship with pain and therefore your pain levels.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a great natural pain reliever. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-cramping and de-stressing properties. It has been shown to help with hyper sensitive nerve cells and also improves sleep what has been shown to reduce pain scores and improve quality of life. Magnesium is also a co-factor necessary for the production of pain regulation and mood enhancement neurotransmitters. Stress increases our bodies demands of Magnesium and the experience of chronic pain is in itself highly stressful. Increasing magnesium intake in the diet and supplementing where necessary can help to break the vicious cycle of low magnesium levels enhancing stress and stress using up more magnesium. Magnesium has also been shown to be helpful for tension headaches, neuropathic pain, painful periods and more.
Exercise
When we exercise we release endorphins which are a hormone that has pain relieving, mood improving and stress busting activity in the brain. These endorphins bind to opioid receptors in the brain to work on reducing perception of pain, pain catastrophizing and promoting a sense of wellbeing. Exercise also increases the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine which can help modulate pain signals and improve overall mood. Physical activity can also promote the release of anti-inflammatory substances that can help reduce inflammation and alleviate pain. Exercise provides temporary relief from pain but can also contribute to long term improvement of physical functioning and pain prevention. Starting with gentle movement and building up is recommended and working with a physiotherapist of exercise physiologist can really set you up for success integrating movement back into your life.
Please reach out if you’re interested in working with me. As a pain-informed practitioner with further training in pain reprocessing therapy and personal experience with chronic pain I would love to support you along your healing from chronic pain.
References:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10053226/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507245/
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/10/3634
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15120457/
