Someone was telling me the other day that he’d been in a big accident and had had chronic pain for the past year. Okay, full disclosure: he wasn’t telling me exactly I was eavesdropping.
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He went on to say that he’d been seeing a naturopath and refused to take anything that wasn’t “natural.”
I get his point. When it comes to alleviating moderate pain, folks often turn to ASA (aspirin) without realizing it can be stomach-wrecking, and to acetaminophen (Tylenol), which over time can damage your liver. Narcotic pain pills throw the whole body out of whack.
Sometimes you have little choice but to turn to Big Pharma. Hurting sucks – and it sucks more for some than others, because individuals have different pain thresholds and coping abilities.
But some alt remedies for pain can soothe without the body paying a huge price in side effects.
What the experts say
“With hypnosis, clients feel dissociated from their bodies and are able to perceive pain without suffering from it. We ask clients to give a shape, colour and texture to the feeling they experience. Turning the experience to a visual image helps clients dissociate from the pain. With pain, our unconscious mind is trying to tell us that something needs investigation. We have to thank the unconscious mind for giving us the signal. We tell clients to express to the unconscious mind that they have received the signal and it’s unnecessary to keep communicating it. If you resent that you have pain, you’ll feel emotional suffering in addition to the physical pain.”
LUKE CHAO, director, Morpheus Clinic, Toronto
“We have in our bodies cannabinoid receptors in the brain and many other tissues. We make our own endogenous cannabinoids called endocannabinoids, similar to endorphins. In a study we haven’t yet published, we demonstrate that cannabis in association with opioid analgesics increases pain relief. The addiction potential of cannabis is certainly much less than that of opioid anaesthetics. Many people say that inhalation of a medicine is not an appropriate mode of delivery and that other preparations, such as swallowing a pill, are more desirable, but inhalation gives you a very rapid onset effect.”
DONALD ABRAMS, chief of hematology-oncology, San Francisco General Hospital
“Acupuncture eases both acute and chronic pain of all types: muscular, joint, headaches, strains/sprains, fibromyalgia, whiplash, nerve pain like sciatica. It improves the blood and energy (qi) flow, reduces inflammation and stimulates the body to heal itself. Acupressure can be applied by patients at home to continue the effects of the acupuncture between treatments. Pain from inflammation can be due to food allergies. Determining and eliminating food allergens and eliminating inflammatory foods such as nightshades (e.g., potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes) can make a huge difference.”
VANESSA LEE, naturopath, Toronto
“Jamaica dogwood (Piscidia) root bark is used for nerve pain such as sciatica and when an antispasmodic is required, such as for period pain. Wild yam root is effective in cases of diverticulitis, colic and other pain in the digestive system and eases nerve, period, arthritic and rheumatic pain. Cramp bark is an antispasmodic used for painful cramping in the legs and for period pain. Feverfew relieves migraines. Celery seed taken regularly relieves pain associated with gout. California poppy flower calms, helping with colic in children and nervous bowel complaints. Devil’s Claw root is used for rheumatic and arthritic conditions.”
DANETTE STEELE, registered clinical herbalist, Toronto
