Drug Free Ebook PDF
Drug Free Ebook PDF
Drug Free Ebook PDF
Drug free
Pill-Free Pain-Relief
Today more than 150 million Americans suffer chronic pain. This amounts to a whopping 100% increase in just a dozen years! How is it possible, with our modern scientific mainstream medicine, that people are suffering more, not less? Clearly, despite their arsenal of elaborate and costly hi-tech medical procedures, doctors cannot diagnose how to stop this growing national health emergency. Here are some disturbing statistics:
Arthritis
1 in 6 Americans suffers from arthritis. 26 million of those are women. Its the leading cause of disability in Americans under age 45. Over 26 million Americans between the ages of 20 and 64 experience frequent back pain, and two thirds of American adults will have back pain during their lifetime. Over 25 million Americans suffer from migraines. 9 out of 10 Americans have nonmigraine headaches each year. 1 in 3 American adults lose more than 20 hours of sleep each month due to pain. 20 million Americans experience jaw and lower facial pain each year. Close to 4 million Americans (mostly women) suffer from fibromyalgia, a complex condition involving widespread pain and other symptoms.
Back Pain
Headache
Impact/Trauma
TMJ/TMD
Fibromyalgia
And along with the human suffering theres the economic and psychological impact of pain. Pain costs an estimated $100 billion each year. The American Occupational Therapy Association reports that, pain accounts for one-fourth of all sick days taken by full-time workers, costing the economy $50 billion lost work days and $3 billion in lost wages. More specifically, health experts estimate that 80% of adult Americans will suffer from chronic back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain alone costs industry more than $50 million annually in absenteeism and lost productivity. Moreover, the Mayo Clinic reports that migraine headaches affect 26 million Americans, 70% of them women. As if that werent enough, chronic pain has significant and long-lasting psychological effects. Pain can decrease a persons strength, coordination, independence, cause severe stress and can lead to depression. As a chronic pain sufferer, you will miss an average of four workdays per year and also shell out some of the $4 billion spent each year on over-thecounter pain relievers! Chronic pain has many causes, but frequently the culprits are conditions that accompany aging and cause long-lasting and severe bone, joint and nerve damage. Other factors include falls and accidents, toxins and dehydration, lack of sleep and poor nutrition. In short, the factors cause inflammation and contraction in harmful amounts. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, Pain signals generated by special nerve endings are transmitted through the spinal chord to the brain. Because each of us has unique brain circuitry, no two people perceive pain the same way. [Thus,] doctors cant objectively measure pain. . . . [Therefore,] the root cause of some chronic pain cant be identified. And while pain-relieving drugs (analgesics) are a mainstay of chronicpain management, the New England Journal of Medicine cautions against their side effects. Long-term use of prescription and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can adversely affect a persons digestive tract, liver, and kidneys. Not to mention being put at a greater risk of cardiovascular (heart) problems and possible gastrointestinal (stomach and intestine) issues.
Acetaminophen
While acetaminophen (Tylenol) offers temporary pain relief and fever reduction, it does not reduce swelling (inflammation). It can be harmful to the liver and kidney if you take more than the recommended dose.
COX-2 Inhibitors
Yes, these work as well as NSAIDs while being less harsh on the stomach, but numerous reports of heart attacks and stroke have prompted the FDA to re-evaluate the risks and benefits of the COX-2s. COX-2 drugs such as Vioxx and Celebrex were actually taken off the market because of these risks.
Narcotics
This class of prescription drugs is powerful, but abuse and addiction are serious side effects. An estimated 20 percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. The problem is serious and it is growing. The availability of drugs is probably one reason. Another is that doctors are prescribing more drugs for more health problems than ever before. And online pharmacies make it easy to get prescription drugs without a prescription, even for youngsters.
Natural Alternatives
If you suffer from any sort of ache or pain, or if you just want to get and stay as healthy as possible, you should consider taking systemic enzymes. They have been used to safely and effectively to eliminate pain and inflammation caused by conditions like arthritis, colitis, back pain, sciatica, joint pain, heart disease, cancer and more. After years of research and testing, the only systemic enzyme formulation that I have found to deliver consistent and excellent results is called Healn-Soothe. And its sister product is a natural homeopathic herbal painrelief cream called Run-on-Relief. When immediate pain relief is needed, and while on the natural path to a pain-free life, these two products are essential.
Imbalance-- Pain, illness and disease in the body are the result of either
an Excess of something (e.g., too much alcohol or sex), a Deficiency of something (e.g., not enough calcium or iron in the blood), or a Stagnation of something (e.g., muscle spasm or constipation). The main point of any wellness program, then, should be to identify and to correct the imbalance(s). Moderation is the key in all aspects of life if wellbeing is to be maintained.
The Climate-- The six climatic changes found in nature include Wind,
Cold, Summer Heat, Damp, Dryness and Fire (mild heat and high heat). Under normal circumstances they do not produce adverse changes in the body. However, each sort of climate does invade the body via the skin, mouth or nose. And in extremes can cause unbalanced (poor) health. For example, on damp and rainy days you might feel cold and chilly and pasty; on hot summer days, you risk getting sunstroke or feeling overheated, dehydrated, tired; on cold winter days you can catch a chill, have a runny nose, experience muscle aches and pains. If left untreated (i.e., out of balance), these simple inconveniences may lead to conditions like pain, numbness, nausea or infection.
they can be damaging to the body. We are talking here of excessive feelings of Joy, Anger, Melancholy, Anxiety, Grief, Fear and Fright. Under ordinary conditions, emotions are normal reactions to events in daily life. However, if emotional change is extremely abrupt (e.g., reaction to loss, stress from an accident), intense or persistent, and so exceeds an individuals normal endurance, it may then produce functional disorders of the organs by upsetting the harmonious balance of energy and blood. At extremes, emotions then become the pathogenic factors, bringing on diseases.
physical activity, and so on. Your way of life has a direct effect on your quality of life and degree of wellness. Lets look at some examples. In terms of diet, a way of life that allows the consumption of too much fatty and sweet food can generate internal heat and result in excessive adipose tissue (fat), carbuncles and, in severe cases, other kinds of pustular sores. Excessive consumption of raw or cold food can cause harm to the stomach and spleen. The cold and damp qualities of these foods may lead to the abdominal pain and loose stools, and even cancer. Normal levels of physical exertion and exercise are helpful to digestion, the movement of blood and removal of toxins and, of course, the toning of the body. However, excessive physical or mental exertion or over-indulgence in sexual activity or a lack of physical work and exercise may cause illness. Inadequate physical work and exercise can result in low energy and slower blood flow. These can cause loss of appetite, lassitude and feebleness in the limbs, listlessness, phlegm and damp retention, obesity, as well as shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating and other secondary illnesses. Excessive mental strain impairs the functioning of the heart and spleen, possibly resulting in palpitations, poor memory, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, poor appetite, abdominal distension and loose stools.
Excessive sexual activity undermines the life essence and kidneys. The result is general debility, with aching and weakness in the lumbar region of the back and in the knees, dizziness, tinnitus, lassitude, hypo-sexuality, nocturnal emissions, premature ejaculation and impotence. As you can see from the above examples, there are many things we do and dont do on a daily basis that tax our health and affect our wellness. We could even say that much of the chronic, daily pain and suffering we experience is, in fact, self-induced. That is, it is caused or made worse by our own choices, actions, habits and emotional states. Yet, even with good decisions that look toward prevention and natural relief, people arent finding deep relief. And often when they seek an individual alternative treatment modality (such as diet or chiropractic), they dont get the desired results and soon loose faith. The problem is that many of us want to label our pain issue as one thing--like spinal stenosis or migraine headache or some other issue. Yet despite medical diagnosis and disease naming, the truth is that most peoples pain is not caused by just one thing. It is caused by many... and this is called a Mixed Pain Syndrome.
Local
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Pain:
To correct these issues, three areas need to be addressed: 1) the Physical Body, 2) the Mind/Body Connection, and 3) Nutritional Deficiencies or Excesses. With the understanding that most peoples pain is due to at least two causesa mixed pain syndromewe suggest that you approach your individual situation with two types of treatment in mind. The first is physical/ mechanical and the second is tissue inflammation. Lets now focus on some of the best pill-free pain relief methods available.
Heat or cold also shut down the nerves that fire the pain signals. Heat relaxes them while cold numbs them. When the brain doesnt get the pain signals, it doesnt act to contract muscles and constrict blood flow. After applying heat or cold consistently and continually for a certain period of time, the pain/spasm cycle is broken. Then, real healing can begin.
So Which Is Better?
If both heat and ice do the same thing, then which is better to treat pain? A general rule is: when there is inflammation, use ice to reduce swelling; when there is spasm, use heat to release the tension. Aside from that, here are some general suggestions. 1. When an injury first occurs, apply ice. This is true whether the injury is acute (caused by some trauma like lifting something heavy or sitting too long) or subacute (a flare-up of a chronic condition, like sciatica). Its also important to use ice quickly. You need to get ice to the injury within five minutes to get the best effect. If youre not at home and dont have ice handy, head to the nearest convenience store and buy a bag of ice. Even something as simple as a bag of frozen peas will work. Apply ice for 20 minutes then take it off for 20. Repeat as often as you can for the first 48-72 hours. 2. When you feel the swelling has gown down and the pain-spasm cycle is broken, you can begin stretching the injured muscle with the appropriate exercises. At this point, choosing ice or heat is really up to you. Most people like to apply heat before they exercise and ice after. Either way, youre getting red blood cells to the area to promote healthy healing. 3. A contrast bath is also recommended as it offers both options. Try 20 minutes of heat followed immediately by 20 minutes of ice. Repeat three times. The contrast shocks the body and gets it out of the pain/ spasm cycle.
There are chemical ice packs. These are less recommended because they can get too cold and can burn the skin tissue. There is the good old bag of frozen vegetables, but these are not great and are a waste of food. There are pain creams that use Menthol to give a cold sensation to the skin. These work great and they can be applied ASAP. The best application of ice I have found is to use a Zip-loc bag with crushed ice in a bit of water. Remove all of the air from the bag and then zip it closed. It is best to also put a wet paper towel on your skin over the affected area then apply the ice bag. To further improve the effectiveness of ice, first rest the injured area, then use a wrap over the ice pack to improve the contact with the skin and to compress the area to minimize the swelling. If the area can be elevated (such as a leg or limb), please try to do this to allow the area to drain at the same time. Now lets talk heat therapy. There are heating lamps, heating pads, hot tubs, hot showers, pain creams with cayenne pepper, and even ultrasound (which is a form of heat). Soaking in a hot tub is great for all over heat therapy. Unfortunately many people do not own one and going to a community hot tub is like taking a dip in a cesspool. Next on the list is far-infrared heat, as it transforms safe light energy into safe heat energy, at a frequency that penetrates the body up to three inches with an even distribution and prolonged thermal effects. Far-infrared heating pads are the easiest and most efficient way of getting this type of heat treatment on the area you need it safely. Once the acute pain is over, or if you are experiencing chronic pain, one of the best, simplest and cheapest things to do for relief is taking a walk!
health and wellness and you will begin to derail the chronic pain cycle on your first outing. Another great pill-free method of pain relief is receiving treatments at the hands of a massage therapist or practitioner of Chinese or Homeopathic medicine. Lets look at these now.
Massage Therapy
If done correctly, massage therapy can work wonders for people in pain. It may not always be the best choice, and it may not work for everyone, but most people will get great results if the massage therapist has a good understanding of the human body, muscle imbalances, and how to work with them. A word of caution: Massage therapy should never be considered a substitute for proper medical attention. Massage improves circulation, and this is a big component of pain relief. A clear fluid called lymph circulates around our bodys tissues. At the same time, you may have inflammation, which is an immune response to injury or infection that causes pain, redness, heat and swelling in the affected area. When lymph and inflammation start to accumulate in the body, the excess fluid will put pressure on blood vessels and our circulation will decrease, limiting blood flow to that area. As the pressure increases, it irritates the nerves, which will cause pain. By helping the body remove excess lymph and inflammation, massage therapy can assist with blood flow, which will reduce the pressure that is irritating the nerves and get rid of your pain. Massage also provides a number of other benefits, including: relaxing the muscles, improved range of motion, improved sleep and increased production of endorphins (which will improve your mood). Is it any wonder you feel like a million bucks after a massage? If after a period of massage and walking you are still in pain, you might consider having a practitioner of Chinese or Homeopathic medicine take a look at you.
acupuncture has a long history of development and today has many styles and protocols of use in the East and West. It is based on the theories of meridian channels and the points of energy that fall along those channels. By inserting very thin stainless-steel needles into a selection of points, stagnations can be moved, deficiencies can be strengthened and excesses can be reduced. This leads to free-flowing blood and energy in the body, thus promoting balance and a pain free existence.
is the application of heat on or above specific acupoints or painful areas. Moxa is herbal wool that helps stimulate blood and energy flow to the desired area by dredging otherwise cold or blocked meridian channels via the heated application of herbal cones or poles placed at or held above the specified area.
as tui na is based on acupuncture theory. It is a rigorous therapy that loosens muscles and joints, relaxes tendons, reduces swelling and relieves pain by promoting the circulation of energy, blood and lymph. It combines techniques of manually pushing, pulling, grasping, pressing and manipulating
the muscles, tendons and bones to work through stiffness or injury. Tui na should not to be confused with a nice relaxing massage! It is vigorous and sometimes painful but then, it is a therapy based on correcting a problem not in inducing stress release in the moment.
found around the globe. It is a method of relieving severe musculoskeletal pain and tension derived from stress and injury. Stiff shoulder from stress? Whiplash? Tight back from sitting too long? Cupping may be the therapy for you. Special glass or plastic cups are placed over the stiffened are and air is removed from them to create a negative vacuum. This pulls blood and energy into the spasmed muscle area to promote healing. With the movement of fresh blood comes fresh oxygen and nutrients, and thus healing and pain relief. Cupping does, however, leave perfectly round purple blemishes on the shin for about five days. However, they do not hurt since they were not derived from trauma. It is merely the stagnant blood and toxins moved out of the deep muscle layer and brought to the skin layer to be removed from the body.
liniments to remove stasis and cramping along muscle groups and/or meridian lines to aid healing and remove painful symptoms. Like cupping, scraping therapy leaves purple blemishes on the skin for a few days, until the toxic blood is moved out of the body (much like a bruise that disappears over time). However, gwa sha therapy is a bit painful, as the practitioner presses his instrument along the length of the tight or spasmed muscle, in effect scraping it, forcing the removal of stagnant blood, energy and toxins. If this sounds strange, think about acupressure or trigger point therapy, but done in one motion along the length of a muscle not just in one area at a time.
bloodstream and meridian complex by balancing organ energy. Over several thousand years of use with millions of patients, herbalists have derived specific patent formulas for nearly every health condition including pain. These formulas contain an average of six different herbs eachsome for stimulating blood, others for coating the stomach, others for pulling the herbals to lower parts of the body. These Chinese herbal remedies are not single-dose herbs for problems, like we see in the West. Many herbs are combined into each formula to provide a well-rounded method
of stopping the symptom while at the same time balancing the body to keep the symptoms from returning. And since there are many types of pain (e.g., tendonitis, bruising, flesh wounds, headache, etc.), there are many pain formulas. Having the correct diagnosis will go a long way to helping you choose the correct formula for your pain.
properly most of the time, and it is only in recent history that they now have heart disease and diabetes on the horizon. (Thank you American fast food!) However, the Chinese have developed what they call the Medicated Diet Therapy. Depending on your condition, you are prescribed a selection of foods containing the right active property and flavor to help remove symptoms, balance organs and return the body to balance.
China people can be found in droves in the local parks at the break of dawn practicing qi gong and tai chi to maintain or regain their health. Qi Gong are systems of concurrently exercising the body and the internal organs to stretch the body, open the meridians, release tension, clear the mind, balance respiration and improve the circulation of energy, blood and body fluids. All of this is achieved in relatively brief exercise sets that are painless and effective against pain, stiffness and disease. Some of the more common and effective qi gong methods are the Ba Dua Jin (8 Brocades) and the Spring Forest systems. If you suffer chronic pain or have had recent onset of pain, stiffness and discomfort do as the Chinese do! Live a life of balance, and when you find yourself off kilter, then invest time in one of the healing methods above and squash it before it become chronic. If Eastern approaches to pain relief are not to your liking well, the West has them, too!
For those with shooting neck pain, belladonna is a good choice. Guaiacum is also a great remedy for stiff neck due to cold or draft. And for those with chronic neck pain due to spondylosis, Calc Carb is the best choice. And Newtons Muscle Ease is a simple remedy for those who have muscle tension, due to stress and overexertion. For those with tearing burning stiffness and shoulder pain, it is best to use Rhus Tox. With shoulder pain radiating to the whole arm with weakness, choose Chelkidonium. Of course, Newtons Aches and Pains Relief Complex can be used for general shoulder and neck pain. For pain from a sprained ankle with stiffness and swelling, use Rhus Tox. For weak ankles susceptible to sprain, use Ledum. Weak ankle tendons and ligaments indicate the use of Ruta. Combining Newtons Aches and Pains Relief Complex, along with arnica cream can work wonders. For acute cases of sciatica, the remedy of choice is Colocynthis. Of course, the aforementioned belladonna and ruta also work well. Newtons Sciatica Relief formula is great for inflammation of the nerves in the lower back and legs. By having a handful of these useful remedies on hand, you can treat yourself at home, and find pain relief from acute injuries and chronic problems. But sometimes the problem is related to a functional disorder, such as spinal compression. Lets consider that next.
until it is completely inverted, and the results are indisputable. Inversion works and should be considered part of any complete healing program. However, if your pain is not cause by compressed discs but rather by chronic or acute muscle spasms, then trigger point therapy is where you should look for help.
function. In other words, everything will again work the way it should. The basic idea is simply to apply sustained pressure on the trigger point area for a set period of time on a regular basis, usually about 90 seconds per point. There are a number of techniques out there that you can employ to do this. Visit our website to learn some of them. www.losethebackpain. com For some people, the cause of their acute and chronic pain is not related to a traumatic injury. For these people, no matter what they try and no matter what type of practitioner they see for their pain, they still suffer. The problem could very well be psychosomatic.