Natural Pain Relief - Can it Work For You?

What do you use for pain relief? Most of us reach for a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like aspirin and Advil or acetaminophen (Tylenol) when in pain.

With over 13 million regular NSAID users in the US and at least 30 billion over-the-counter tablets sold each year, you might say we're "sold" on NSAIDs and acetaminophen for pain relief.

Yet, these drugs aren't as friendly as their advertisements suggest. They help relieve pain, but their side effects can kill!

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that NSAID-induced disease causes at least 103,000 hospitalizations per year and every year 16,500 arthritis patients die from NSAID-related gastrointestinal damage.

These drugs increase the chance of a heart attack and stroke. They cause ulcers and bleeding in the stomach and intestines. Worse yet, these side effects can happen suddenly without warning symptoms and may cause sudden death.

Acetaminophen, another potential killer, likely lurks in your medicine cabinet too. This common over-the-counter (OTC) drug found in Tylenol, cold medicines, and prescription drugs like Vicodin and Percocet is widely used for pain relief and fever.

Though generally considered safe when used according to the directions on its labeling, acetaminophen can cause liver damage and even death according to a FDA 2009 consumer update. Unfortunately, overdosing is easy as many drugs use acetaminophen in combination with other drugs in their formulas.

Fortunately, you can avoid these risks by using simple and effective natural pain relief methods like these:

Ice. Ice is a well-know pain reliever especially in the early phase of injury. "Try to ice the area as soon as possible after the injury and continue to ice it for 10 to 15 minutes four times a day for 48 hours. If you use ice, be careful not to use it too long, as this could cause tissue damage," reports Mayo Clinic staff on their website. After 48 hours, try heat.

Heat. Heat promotes pain relief and it increases blood flow to the area bringing nutrients and specialized cells to speed healing.

Fish Oil. An April 2006 study in Surgical Neurology found that after seventy-five days on fish oil, 59% of patients who were taking NSAIDs for chronic spinal pain and who had degenerative spine disease were able to discontinue their prescription NSAIDs. Eighty percent stated they were satisfied with their improvement, and 88% stated they would continue to take the fish oil.

Zyflamend. This preparation contains a synergistic blend of 10 specially processed herbs including ginger, rosemary, turmeric, holy basil, green tea, Hu Zhang, Chinese goldthread, barberry, oregano, and skullcap. Laboratory cell studies found it inhibits the COX-2 enzyme that triggers inflammation.

If you're already taking NSAIDs for your pain, "Take Zyflamend at half the recommended dose along with your prescribed medication; after 1 month, cut your NSAID dose in half and increase Zyflamend to full dosage; a month later, drop your NSAID and see if your symptoms are controlled. If your pain returns, you may need to resume taking your NSAID again," recommends natural health expert, Andrew Weil, MD in Prevention magazine.

Proteolytic Enzymes. These enzymes including papain, chymopapaine, bromelain, and pancreatic preparations can "fast forward" the healing process, support the removal of damaged tissue, and reduce swelling, report natural health experts Ross A. Hauser MD and Payson Flattery, NP, DC, in The Cure for Chronic Pain: End the Pain of Arthritis, Sports Injury and Other Joint Problems.

Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). An analysis of the 2002 National Health Interview published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine found that a majority (60 percent) of survey respondents who used CAM therapies for back pain perceived "a great deal" of benefit and they reported improved health status. Here are the most commonly used therapies with their percentage of usage:

• Chiropractic (66 percent)



• Massage (56 percent)



• Yoga/Tai Chi/Qi Gong (56 percent)



• Acupuncture (42 percent)



• Herbal Therapies (32 percent)



• Relaxation Techniques (28 percent)

These CAM therapies count as side effects potential improvement in all aspects of your life: body, mind, and spirit.

This is only a partial list; there are many other natural pain relief methods like physical therapy, meditation, and more. Ask your health provider about natural pain relief.

Before you decide to take drugs like NSAIDs and acetaminophen, try natural pain relief methods. You can use them in place of these drugs or along with them, in order to decrease the amount you need to take.

Natural pain relief methods can work and without the nasty side effects of drugs!

Natural Remedies For Inflamed Joints - Discover the Cure For Inflamed Joints in the Next 10 Minutes!

Inflamed joints cause a lot of pain and discomfort for the sufferer and take away the joy of living. Find out the expert facts on how effective natural remedies for inflamed joints can work wonders by providing permanent pain relief.

Inflamed and painful joints can be caused due to various reasons. Some of them are poor nutrition, injury, arthritis, etc. But thanks to advances in modern medical science, effective natural remedies for inflamed joints have now been discovered.

Few years back, Cox-2 inhibitors used to be prescribed for reducing pain in inflamed and painful joints. But most people these days avoid the use of such drugs due to the serious side effects associated with them.

For example, Vioxx is the Cox-2 inhibitor drug that is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Merck. There are thousands of lawsuits pending against it, as the users of the drug suffered from serious side effects such as heart attack and death due to it.

Natural remedies for inflamed joints offer a much safer and effective solution. The key to overcoming the pain of inflamed and stiff joints lies in reducing the inflammation naturally.

The easiest and the most natural way is to consume a diet that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. They are one of the best natural anti-inflammatory. They are also very beneficial for cardiovascular and brain health.

Omega-3 fatty acids inhibit the activity of those enzymes that play a leading role in destroying the cartilage tissues in the joints. They reduce inflammation naturally and provide effective pain relief.

Fish is one of the best sources of Omega 3s. Apart from that the green lipped mussel found in New Zealand is also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. It has also been found very effective in reducing joint stiffness and pain in arthritis patients.

A regular intake of Omega 3 in the form of pure fish oil supplements is one of the best natural remedies for inflamed joints, as well as reaping the amazing health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.

Cure Your Rheumatoid Arthritis - Alcohol, a Possible Treatment to an Impossible Disease

Every patient suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis is searching for alternative remedy, which could lower down growth of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in the body. A recent research states that the people who intake 10 units (not more or less) of alcohol a week have reduced the severity of Rheumatoid Arthritis in body.

In this research, RA patients were initially divided into two groups, First group include those patients who do not take or have alcohol infrequently and the second group include those patients who take alcohol frequently (10 units of alcohol a week or five glasses of wine a week).

After 45 days, patients in the second group were observing lesser pain than before, whereas the condition of first group patients was still degrading at the same pace. Certain blood tests and X-Ray of all the joints were led to validate the reality and it was found that, there was much lower level of inflammation and swelling around the joints of the second group patients. Their X-Ray reports had also reflected less damage to joints of second group arthritis patients when compared to the first group patients in the same duration.

A lot of intense and deep research by research team, depicted that "the alcohol actually restrains the activity of immune system at a certain point which has a major impact on the ground where Rheumatoid Arthritis actually develops in body (when alcohol is taken in limited or prescribed quantity). The alcohol's insensitivity and anti-inflammatory effects tend to lower down the activity of immune system in body and the actual reason behind reduced pain in the second group patients".

The research team said that "the chances of recovering from Rheumatoid Arthritis can certainly increase with regular intake of prescribed quantity of alcohol, however any intake of alcohol apart from the prescribed quantity will certainly be harmful".

This research also resulted that the prescribed quantity of alcohol is also helpful in lowering down symptoms of RA severity in the body. The symptoms of RA were also found low in the people who drink frequently and high in non-drinkers. In fact, alcohol is also useful in pulling down the risk of heart disease in many patients.

Rheumatoid Arthritis medicines, including immuno suppressant drugs like Confluence could damage the liver if patient intake more quantity of alcohol apart from the prescribed quantity with any immuno suppressant medicines. The patients should certainly not exceed prescribed 10 units of alcohol or 5 glasses of wine a week in order to get relief in joint pain. It should be noted that drinking of more quantity of alcohol, taking regular medicine or any antibiotic could harm liver.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease, which is clearly a reflection of changing lifestyle, more than 2 percent of world population is currently affected by Rheumatoid Arthritis. There is an urgent need to find alternative treatment, which can lower down the RA effects and restrain further damage. Millions are spent every year to discover a medicine to cure Rheumatoid Arthritis, patients can certainly restrain themselves from every form of arthritis by adopting few simple measures.

A recent research conducted by a private arthritis research website, resulted that every men aged 45 and women aged 42 will be suffering from one or the other form of arthritis after 2020.

Degenerative Joint Disease (Osteoarthritis) In Cats

Pet parents may not consider the possibility that their aging furry companion may be suffering from degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis). They may notice their cat gradually becoming less active but simply write it off to another part of the natural aging process.

The truth when discussing degenerative joint disease in cats is there is about a one in three chance of it occurring before the age of 10 and a seven out of ten chance of it occurring after the age of 10. It is by far the most common form of arthritis in cats. Other forms include progressive polyarthritis, septic arthritis, and spondylitis (when the vertebrates are involved with the progression of arthritis.

Though cats general have milder symptoms than dogs it is still a serious problem. Some might even argue a more serious problem because cats tend to be less active than dogs to start with, and diseases of the joints such as osteoarthritis reduce their activity level to a point where their overall health may become an issue.

Talking degenerative joint disease in cats?

Bones are connected at the joint. In a cat with degenerative joint disease, the cartilage covering the articulating surface of a joint wears out and the underlying bone develops a coarse surface that damages the joint.

Think of cartilage as the shock absorber that keep bones from rubbing together and cushions impact.

In dogs when the cartilage disappears a sandpaper type of sound may be heard when they are in motion. Since cats are smaller, and typically have shorter strides, degenerative joint disease will not be heard, thus it must be observed.

The most common area impacted are those weight bearing joints which have been severely stress, fractured, or dislocated. Nevertheless, sometimes years of chasing birds, lizards, or battery operated mice around is enough to stop your cat in his/her tracks.

The most common symptoms of degenerative joint disease is stiffness which can turn into lameness if left untreated. This condition may begin around the age of 7 or 8 but not be noticed until much later. Swelling around the damaged joint and muscle deterioration in the vicinity of the affected area are visual cues that pet parents can pick up on.

Also their activity levels may grind to a halt with irritable setting in as the condition, and subsequent pain, worsens.

What can be done?

There is a spirited debate as to whether pain medications and/or corticosteroids are the best way to treat degenerative joint disease in cats. Many veterinarians believe it is a necessary evil while others insist the goal should be first to rebuild the lost cartilage with the help of natural formulas containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

The sad truth of the matter is that osteoarthritis in cats is treatable but not curable.

Regardless of the chosen course of treatment there are a number of simple steps that can be taken to improve their quality of life.

Examples would be to provide a warm place for them to sleep and rest. In our house we use a heating pad to accomplish this but keep in mind heating pads will tend to dehydrate your pet. Another tip is to make sure they can get to their favorite places; window sills, couches, and beds.

Natural Home Relief For Bruxism - How To Stop Teeth Grinding

Natural Home Relief For Bruxism

This article contains some important tips that will change things for you; no matter how bad your teeth grinding problem is. Teeth grinding occurs during sleep, and is said to be a conscious effort that gradually develops into a habit on the part of the person suffering from it. Since it is said to be a habit; it can also be stopped through a conscious effort on the part of the person suffering from it. This is how to stop TMJ naturally because it does not require any pain medication. Though, it may take a bit of time before one begins to see or experience the result of this natural treatment; the effect will definitely last longer than other means. There are lots of people who hardly know how to stop TMJ naturally; these people spend huge amount of money buying mouth guards and acquiring pain medications.

Causes Of Bruxism

Experts say that bruxism is caused by a condition called anxiety or digestive disorder. One of the best ways to treat teeth grinding is to address this disorder before it escalates into something else.

Some of the side-effects of bruxism include; jaw pain, earache, toothache, headache, and broken teeth. Experts have claimed that these minor side-effects could lead to other complications that may cause some severe damages. These major complications include; depression, and insomnia. Those suffering from bruxism are known to apply the following relieves.

One way to stop teeth grinding is through pain medication prescribed by doctors. Though, not a natural method of stopping this problem; pain medication still remains a common treatment among people who suffer from bruxism. Actually, pain medication only provides temporary solutions to stop teeth grinding.

Mouth Guard

A mouth guard is a gadget usually placed between the lower and upper jaw, which helps prevent both ends of the jaw from coming in contact. Though, not a cure for bruxism, mouth guard remains the most commonly used method by people who want to stop teeth grinding. The cost of acquiring or replacing a mouth guard once it wears out is put at about $700. That means one may have to cough out that much each time the one in use wears out.

Tackling teeth grinding from the root cause remains the best solution to curing it; and not actually all these artificial means, which cost a lot of money. Having considered pain medication and mouth guards as some of the ways to prevent this disorder; natural home relief for bruxism remains the best way out.

Capsaicin: Real Pain Relief or Myth?

We've seen a huge boom in the quantity, quality and availability of all natural healing remedies for pain (whether temporary or chronic) in recent years. Unfortunately we've also seen a big jump in the number of ineffective pain management therapies posing as all natural solutions for pain, making it difficult for many people to sort through what really works and what's just marketing hype. One of the most touted natural treatment of pain remedies to arrive in recent years has been topical capsaicin treatments. Does capsaicin really work to reduce pain in a safe and natural manner, or is it all hype?

Anecdotal and Clinical Proof

To make it very clear from the start- yes, capsaicin has been shown both anecdotally and within proper scientific studies to work as a natural pain remedy. A study conducted by the University of Oxford tested capsaicin creams with arthritis and neuropathy patients and found that about forty percent of the arthritis sufferers halved the level of pain they were suffering from by using the cream, and over half the neuropathy sufferers replicated those pain relief results with two months of treatment. Capsaicin has similarly been shown to reduce general pain significantly more effectively than a placebo in another study of one hundred and sixty people, and has been used to treat headaches from migraine sufferers.

But what is Capsaicin?

So now that you know that capsaicin has been proven effective as a natural healing treatment, you're probably wondering what the cream actually is? Simply put, capsaicin is the ingredient that makes chilies and other peppers hot. It's the component of those foods that causes that "mouth burning" feel and which makes your skin tingle when you come into direct contact with them. While the exact reason why capsaicin works effectively to treat pain hasn't been proven, most researchers suspect it has to do with the ingredient's ability to remove substance P from the skin upon contact, which is a chemical within your body that induces the feeling of pain.

The Top Uses of Capsaicin

Because of this capsaicin is almost always utilized as a topical treatment for back pain, neck pain, and other forms of localized muscles pain. Capsaicin cream can be purchased over the counter at pretty much any general store or drug store these days, and is reasonably priced. Pain management with capsaicin is easy enough- all you need to do is directly apply the cream to the source of your pain a few times a day. It usually takes a couple of weeks to begin to experience significant pain relief.

The way that capsaicin treatments are produced these days makes them better for natural healing of localized pain compared with full-body chronic pain. Capsaicin treatments are primarily formulated to deal with extremely localized predictable pains like arthritis or overworked muscles. Considering the prevalence of these forms of chronic muscle pain it's no wonder that capsaicin is reaching the level of popularity and widespread acceptance that it is. There are no known negative side effects of capsaicin pain relief treatments when they are applied properly, though it's important to avoid letting the cream come in contact with your eyes or other extremely sensitive parts of your body.

Can Dead Sea Salt Stop Joint Pain?

This is it! You've reached the red line beyond which you cannot bear the pain. After having spent weeks and months of wishful thinking, the reality has hit you right on the face. No matter what experts say, there's so much so that medicines can do, so what would you do now?

There's a long way yet to travel before you could give up on your quest. Have you ever heard wise men saying that the world is a perfect place? It may be so, because relief for joint pain has been found right in Dead Sea Salt.

Among the best uses of Dead Sea salt is relieving Psoriasis, Eczema and related skin diseases. It also relieves lower back pain, joint pain and muscle aches caused by various diseases. The latter is the reason why it is popular among Rheumatoid arthritis patients. The efficiency of Dead Sea salt is clinically proven to relieve pain in both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

We all know that the Dead Sea contains far more minerals than any place on earth. It is known to contain 32% more minerals than any other sea with Iodine and Bromides being freely available together with Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium and Calcium in dry form. These elements together are known to work the magic in relieving pain as they take over the job of regulating cell activity and daily functioning while stabilizing body's fluid levels.

Many user reviews prove that a hot water bath immersed in salt bring them closer to a world full of relief from joint pain. They report of being refreshed and relaxed in the mind and body so much so that they feel deeply relieved of joint pain. Dead Sea bathing salts are available in many colors and sizes in the market. However, you ought to be cautious of what you buy. Many rheumatoid arthritis sufferers prefer the white salt over other colors but you need to know how to identify authentic Dead Sea salt in order to benefit from its' usage.

There are washed or processed salts that come in to the market in the name of Dead Sea salt. These salts have had their minerals extracted for other purposes and would not provide you any benefit at the end. The best way to identify the difference between the authentic salt and processed salt is to examine the color. If the salt carries a 'bleached white' appearance, it has probably been refined. The authentic Dead Sea salt is off color white in nature. There would be a texture difference too in the refined salt, but it would be very hard to track the difference on its texture alone.

While many people seem to have benefitted from this salt for rheumatoid arthritis joint pain, some also report that the effects have worn off on the joint pains after regular use of the salt. So rather than using it daily, you could get in to a weekly plan of using dead sea salt in a hot water bath?