Total Health Breakthroughs: Free Natural Health Newsletter and Alternative Health Articles

“Oh that pain in my ______,” (you fill in the blank).

I hear it all the time from people suffering from everything from lower back pain to carpal tunnel syndrome. They tell me about how bad their pain is and how they’ve “tried everything”.

Well, the fact is, they haven’t tried everything. And if you are suffering from any type of ache or pain I can guarantee that there are numerous things you have not tried that will help you.

The problem for most people is they only treat the symptoms — meaning the pain. If you truly want to eliminate the pain, you MUST identify and address the underlying cause of the problem.

But often times the pain is so intense that the individual can’t even work on addressing the underlying cause; so my recommendation is always to treat the symptom (the pain) and also treat the cause.

While most people do tend to do something to reduce the pain right away, the mistake they make is using NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) such as Celebrex or their over the counter cousins — aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. NSAIDs work by blocking the COX enzymes that cause inflammation and pain.

But the problem is that COX enzymes also help to protect and regenerate the tissue of the stomach and kidneys. This is why millions of people have experienced negative and life-threatening side effects like nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness, drowsiness, ulcers and even kidney and liver failure.

So what can you do to reduce the swelling, inflammation, and pain without the high risks? The good news is there are several methods that have been proven both safe and effective:

1. If you get an injury, treat it with ice immediately and then for the first day or two. Switch to moist heat thereafter.
2. Take hot baths with minerals such as magnesium (Epsom salts) and sodium bicarbonate. They help relieve inflammation and relax muscles.
3. Learn mental relaxation and other mind-body techniques to reduce the pain.
4. Try acupuncture and/or trigger point therapy to release pain from muscles that are tight or in spasm.
5. Take safe, natural herbs and homeopathic remedies to relieve pain and reduce inflammation and swelling. Here is a partial list of natural substances that may help.

• Proteolytic enzymes: While they are primarily taken as a digestive aid, proteolytic enzymes also “digest” debris from an injured site, lower inflammation, and speed up recovery time.
• Boswella: This ancient herb has been used to relieve arthritis pain for years with no known side effects. It helps to reduce pain and inflammation and improve blood flow to injured and diseased joints.
• Turmeric: This Indian spice is a natural pain reliever. Its powerful anti-inflammatory action helps ease back, muscle, and joint pain.
• Devil’s Claw: The active ingredient in this herb is an anti-inflammatory. It has been shown to relieve joint pain, lower back pain, and muscle tension.
• Arnica: The essential oil from this flowering plant is added to many pain-relieving ointments. Arnica reduces inflammation and bruising, and relieves joint and muscle pain.

The key here is to experiment and listen closely to your body. If you try something and it doesn’t help, don’t assume it won’t work for you. You may need to try it in conjunction with other treatments.

Remember, you can fight and win the war against pain… and you can do it without drugs or surgery.

[Ed. Note: Jesse Cannone is a certified fitness trainer, rehabilitation specialist and co-founder of the Healthy Back Institute. For more information on how you can reduce or completely eliminate your pain naturally, click here.]