Top 5 Ways to Relieve Pain

For some people, the thought of pain relief means grabbing a bottle of aspirin or over-the-counter pain reliever and taking pills. But here are five methods of pain relief that don't involve narcotics or pain killers that can cause damage to the stomach or liver.

One of the simplest ways to reduce pain is to chill or warm the affected area, depending on the nature of the injury or cause of the pain. Pain relief for a sprain or joint injury is often as close as the nearest freezer. Putting ice on the injury helps reduce swelling and therefore reduces the pressure on the nerve endings, reducing the pain. For a muscle pull or strain injury, heat can help reduce pain. A heating pad on the site of the strain can help relax the muscles and eliminate the pain. That same theory is why a warm bath or shower can help to relieve pain. The warmth of the water helps the body to relax and the relaxation causes the muscle to quit causing pressure on the nerve ending.

Another simple method is to relieve pain is through massage. Rubbing the painful area gently can help the muscles to relax as well. When muscles are tense, they form a tight ball. That tightness presses on the nerves and causes pain. Therefore, massaging away the muscle stress can help with pain relief.

Meditation is also a very good form of pain relief. The theory is that by relaxing the body and focusing the mind on something other than the pain, the body can begin its own natural healing process. Since pain is usually the last symptom to appear when the boy is not well, it is often the first to disappear as healing begins. This also works a lot like the principle of mind over matter. Often, a small scrape or other minor injury does not hurt until it is noticed. With meditation for pain relief, because the entire mind is concentrating on the meditation, there is nothing left over to notice the pain.

Many recent studies have also demonstrated the usefulness of animals in pain relief. Especially among the chronically ill, holding or petting a furry animal can create enormous pain relief. Scientists argue why the act of stroking an animal relieves pain, but most agree that it does. Some say it is again the distraction factor; that caring for another being removes the self focus and sends the pain to the back of the mind. Proponents of that theory say that animal therapy does not truly relive pain, just distracts the suffered from it. Others argue that perhaps the resonance of a cat purr or the feeling of a dog's fur may trigger natural endorphins in the brain. Endorphins are hormone that create a natural high and may actually create pain relief.

Finally, new research is emerging with hospice patients to indicate that soothing music can also relieve pain. The theory states that much like animal therapy, the soft music of a harp or other soothing instrument can call to mind happier times and even the memory of happiness can create the release of endorphins to ease the pain.