Pain Free Naturally

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Pain Free Naturally

Alternative ways to ease your aches, soothe your muscles, and speed

healing

by Kane and Sharon Liao

Most of us have an old standby--aspirin, say--that we take for nearly

everything that ails us. And it would seem we reach for it often: In

any given 2-week stretch, more than half of American adults experience

significant aches and pains, according to a study published in JAMA.

If your approach has been limited to the same tired trick, you're

missing out on decades of good research on pain-defying alternatives,

such as herbs, acupuncture, and visualization. In studies, these

treatments have proved to work just as well as modern medications--and

in some cases even better.

Whether it's a splitting headache, an aching neck, stiff joints, or a

sprained ankle, we've found a natural fix for what ails you. Just make

sure that you keep your doctor informed about any treatments you try.

Beat migraines

Since the 17th century, healers have treated migraines with the herb

butterbur (Petasites hybridus root). When German and American

researchers tested it recently on 58 migraine sufferers--who took 75

mg of butterbur or a placebo twice a day for 4 months--the herb takers

had migraines about half as often, compared with a 26% drop for the

placebo takers.

Butterbur contains compounds that prevent blood vessel inflammation, a

possible migraine trigger. If your migraines subside after 3 to 6

months of taking the herb, you can discontinue use (though you may

need to restart treatment if the headaches return). To purchase the

remedy used in the study--Petadolex Butterbur Gelcaps--go to Petadolex

Migraine Prevention.

Ease headaches

Picture pleasant, tension-reducing images such as ocean waves, or

visualize your pain as an object you can manipulate and banish from

your body. That's how visualization--aka guided imagery--can help keep

headaches at bay. (A therapist can lead you through the technique, but

you can try it at home, too.)

In a monthlong study of 260 chronic tension-headache sufferers, about

22% of those who listened to guided imagery tapes 20 minutes a day

reported that their aches were " much better " than before the

treatment, compared with only 8% of the control group. CDs are

available online at sites like Health Journeys.

(Posted December 2006)

Tame tennis elbow

Acupuncture is a miracle worker: When Mayo Clinic researchers gave 22

people with persistent tennis elbow four treatments with needles, 80%

got complete and long-lasting relief; another 10% reported much less

pain and improved mobility. " These patients had suffered for more than

a year and had tried drugs, cortisone injections, wearing a brace, and

even surgery, " says study author T. Dorsher, MD. " Acupuncture

was the first intervention that worked for most of these patients. "

Wipe out wrist pain

Whether you're suffering from an inflamed tendon or carpal tunnel

syndrome (caused by swelling of the tissue around the medial nerve,

which runs from your hand to forearm), restricting the motion of your

wrist could be the answer. Try a splint that prevents your wrist from

bending as you sleep, says Werner, MD, a professor of physical

medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Michigan. He asked

112 assembly line autoworkers with wrist pain to watch an ergonomic

training video, then one group was told to wear a wrist splint at

night; the other half went without.

After a month, reports of pain and numbness in the splint group fell

by half; symptoms in the other group, by a quarter. The improvement

lasted for up to a year. Get the ergonomic training if you can, but

try the brace too: Choose a rigid one that keeps your hand in line

with your forearm, Werner says. You can find one at a pharmacy for

roughly $15. Wear it while sleeping every night for about 6 weeks or

until the pain subsides.

Soothe a sore throat

A combo of marshmallow and licorice roots and slippery elm bark calms

sore throats by protectively coating irritated membranes, reports a

study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary

Medicine. Sixty adults with inflamed throats drank either a tea

containing these herbs or a placebo beverage four to six times a day

for about a week.

Those who downed the brew reported 48% less pain than the placebo

group. Throat Coat, the tea used in the study, is available online and

in health food stores. Some people are sensitive to the herbs in the

mix; if you have allergies or high blood pressure, check with your doc

before steeping a mugful.

Calm eczema

An immune system malfunction triggers eczema's dry, itchy rashes as

white blood cells release substances that attack skin cells.

Cortico-steroids can quell the white blood cells' reaction, but they

may also irritate skin and, if used long-term, even cause bone loss.

An alternative: B12 cream. In a 2-month multicenter study, German

researchers asked 49 volunteers to put the cream on rashes on one side

of their body and a placebo cream on the other.

Nearly 60% said the B12 cream relieved symptoms--the placebo helped

only 11%. Researchers say topical vitamin B12 inhibits the faulty

immune response; the cream should be available in the United States

later this year. Or you could ask a compounding pharmacist to mix up a

cream at 0.07% strength. Visit the International Academy of

Compounding Pharmacists website to find one.

Pacify inflamed joints

A mix of plant and tree bark extracts reduces joint pain just as well

as NSAIDs such as Vioxx, found University of Exeter, UK, scientists.

They looked at studies involving a total of 820 patients who took

either the herb blend, called Phytodolor, or an NSAID three times a

day for 2 to 4 weeks. Those who got Phytodolor not only felt as much

relief as people taking NSAIDs, they also experienced fewer side

effects such as stomach pain and dizziness. German researchers who

compared the herb blend to aspirin found that Phytodolor was twice as

effective at suppressing enzymes that induce arthritis swelling and

pain. You can order a domestically made version called Aspen

Arthro-Blend ($19 for 14-day supply) from Vital Botanicals.

A better-known duo, glucosamine and chondroitin, has yet to convince

researchers. It seems to help moderate joint pain but does little for

severe cases. There is one other option: Studies on capsaicin suggest

that this compound--found in chile peppers--helps relieve pain by

interfering with a chemical that tells your brain you're hurting.

Over-the-counter creams are available at natural products stores.

Save a sprained ankle

Hobble to your local pharmacy or health food store and pick up a tube

of comfrey ointment. This weed, which grows in marshes, is high in

allantoin, a substance that reduces inflammation and stimulates the

growth of healthy tissue. Research shows that slathering comfrey

ointment on the afflicted ankle reduces pain, tenderness, and swelling

just as well as the usual treatment, a prescription anti-inflammatory

lotion called diclofenac gel.

After a week, comfrey users were better healed and had 92% less pain;

the diclofenac group had an 84% drop. Steer clear of supplements that

contain the herb, however--they could contribute to liver damage,

warns the FDA.

Subdue foot aches

Think twice before you purchase pricey custom-made orthotics for heel

pain known as plantar fasciitis, say foot experts. Activities such as

running, stair-climbing, and even walking can cause the plantar

fascia, the flat band of tissue on the bottom of your foot, to swell,

bruise, or tear. Most people heal within 6 months on their own. The

good news is that those with acute cases of foot pain may do just fine

with store-bought heel cups that cost only a few bucks.

Choose a firm version from your local drugstore, suggests

Reid, DPM, spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medical

Association. Also try regularly stretching the muscles in your foot to

build strength and rolling your arch over a tennis ball or soup can to

help ease the ache.

Stifle surgery pain

Got a root canal scheduled? Recuperating in a sunny, music-filled room

will help take away some of the hurt. A review of 14 studies involving

489 patients found that those who listened to pleasant music felt less

pain--and required fewer pain meds--than those who healed in silence.

" Music has about the same effect as one acetaminophen tablet, " says

study author M. Soledad Cepeda, MD, PhD, a Colombian researcher who

worked with Tufts University Medical Center scientists. Rolling up the

blinds also helps, report University of Pittsburgh doctors, who found

that back surgery patients recovering in sunny rooms required 22% less

pain medication and felt less stress than those in dimly lit ones.

Stop nagging neck pain

The most common cause of a sore neck? Strained spinal muscles

overtaxed by heavy lifting, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, or

hunching over a desk. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)

such as ibuprofen or aspirin can reduce painful inflammation, but new

research shows that omega-3 fatty acids, the " healthy " fat found in

fish, work just as well.

In a University of Pittsburgh study of people taking NSAIDs for

long-term back and neck pain, researchers added a daily 2,400 mg dose

of omega-3s to the patients' diets for 2 weeks. The researchers then

asked study participants to taper off their NSAID use and continue

with a daily dose of 1,200 mg of omega-3s for another 2 weeks. After a

month, nearly two-thirds reported a significant improvement in pain.

Omega-3 fatty acids impede the production of chemical messengers

called prostaglandins; these trigger pain and swelling, researchers

say. Take 1,000 to 1,200 mg a day for a month or two to get relief.

(Fish oils also break up blood platelets, so avoid this treatment if

you're on blood thinners.)

3 ways to Beat Back Pain

1. Wear a heating pad. A s Hopkins University study found that

putting on a portable heat wrap 8 hours a day for 3 days reduced the

intensity of back pain by 60%, compared with going without one (both

groups were also taking pain medication). The benefit lasted for up to

2 weeks. Researchers used the ThermaCare Lower Back Heat Wrap ($7.50).

2. You can also try a 600 to 1,200 mg dose of devil's claw. This

African herb has a long history of medicinal use. In recent research,

it has been shown--in a total of 10 studies involving 1,567

participants--to ease chronic lower-back pain. Take it 3 times a day

(you can find it in vitamin stores). Devil's claw can cause an upset

stomach in some people.

3. Exercise may sound like a bad idea, but a UCLA study of 610 men and

women with chronic lower-back pain discovered that those who were

active were 30% less likely to experience an increase in pain and

disability than those who were inactive. People who fared the best did

moderate types of exercise--swimming and walking, for example.

Sore muscles?

Attack the problem from all angles

Prep your body.

Take a mixture of isoleucine, leucine, and valine (amino acid

supplements). In a study from Japan, 30 people who were given this

combo before doing squats had far less muscle soreness and fatigue in

the following days than exercisers who got a sugar pill.

Branched-chain amino acids such as these work together to reduce

muscle protein breakdown during exercise as well as stimulate muscle

protein growth. These amino acids are available as a combo pill--about

$27 for 240 tablets.

Then try arnica pills.

In a study of 82 marathon runners, those who took five D30 arnica

tablets twice a day (the day before, day of, and 3 days after their

race) reported less soreness than those given a placebo treatment. The

D30 supplement can be found in vitamin stores and may be labeled with

its full plant name, Arnica montana.

Or, consider taking CoQ10.

If you're on cholesterol-lowering statins, they can block the

production of the nutrient coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). This enzyme is key to

muscle cell function. You can replenish your stores by taking 100 mg

daily. That dosage can slash soreness in half, according to a study of

38 people done at Stony Brook University Health Sciences Center.

Sue B.