Pain medication isn’t the only effective way to control pain; there are also natural, holistic approaches that work directly with the body to lessen discomfort without side effects or addiction.
Since 2010, substantial evidence has accumulated supporting mind-body therapies, including acupuncture, nutritional supplements and some herbal treatments. Furthermore, chiropractic therapies and dietary approaches have demonstrated their potential to ease pain relief.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditation is an increasingly popular technique that helps practitioners remain present. By being aware of their thoughts and feelings without judgement, mindfulness allows people to recognize stress early and release it more effectively.
Studies demonstrate the efficacy of regular mindfulness practice on decreasing pain levels. Fadel Zeidan and colleagues conducted a 2015 research project using brain images to demonstrate this effect, with mindfulness practice decreasing activation in areas of the brain responsible for processing pain messages. They also discovered that those who practiced mindfulness were often able to decrease or even forgoing their use of pain medication altogether – though this wasn’t always the case.
Researchers suggest that mindfulness meditation works by decreasing synchronization between the thalamus (which relays sensory information to other areas) and parts of the default mode network, which are active when wandering your thoughts or processing emotions.
Meditation
Mind-body therapies such as meditation can provide effective ways to alleviate chronic pain symptoms like inflammation and improve function, as well as relieve stress and depression – two symptoms often experienced with chronic discomfort.
Meditation allows individuals to focus their awareness on one aspect of their bodies at a time and relax, using various visualization techniques such as picturing a calm beach or peaceful waterfall as inspiration.
Studies suggest that mindfulness meditation may reduce pain by delinking sensation from emotion and cognition, while potentially altering how the brain processes sensory information.
Mindfulness training has shown promising results when applied to pain treatment, similar to more established psychological interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). More research needs to be conducted in order to establish which meditation technique and duration of instruction would offer maximum benefits.
Yoga
Yoga has come a long way since its religious beginnings in India, becoming a philosophy that promotes union between body, mind and internal energy to achieve mental control and peace. Yoga can be considered both an art and science that leads to self-realization (moksha).
Yoga incorporates physical exercises that can help to build strength, increase flexibility, and enhance cardiovascular and respiratory fitness. Yoga has also been proven effective at helping those suffering from hypertension lower their blood pressure by returning baroreceptor sensitivity that allows the body to detect imbalances in blood flow.
Yoga in the West is most often practiced as a form known as Hatha yoga, which emphasizes postures, breathing exercises and stress reduction. Hatha yoga provides an effective form of physical and spiritual exercise and meditation suitable for people of all faiths as well as atheists or agnostics.
Nutritional Changes
Many pain conditions are the result of health conditions that can be effectively addressed using holistic techniques. Such solutions can strengthen weakened muscles, increase flexibility and range of motion, relieve inflammation and foster overall wellness.
Acupuncture is an increasingly popular and effective form of treatment, without the use of medicine, that has been shown to improve general health while providing pain relief.
Psychological therapy and stress-management techniques are frequently utilized as part of an integrative pain management approach. According to studies, these approaches help patients avoid exacerbating their discomfort by teaching them how to better control it – in addition to teaching relaxation techniques and coping mechanisms.
Hypnosis
Hypnosis was long seen with mistrust due to misuse in the media; however, now it is being recognized as an effective therapy for pain management1.
Clinical hypnosis has been demonstrated to have direct effects on pain-related brain regions. However, it’s important to remember that hypnotic suggestions shouldn’t focus solely on pain reduction; rather they should include other goals like relaxation techniques, altering negative cognitions/mood shifts/upgrading functional abilities (Jensen & Patterson 2010).
Hypnosis may help ease suffering by encouraging patients to accept the experience of chronic pain as an inevitable part of life, which they can learn to accept by accepting it and learning how to live with it. This approach aligns with eastern philosophies which view pain as natural and inevitable but that it can be reduced through accepting it more fully and learning to live with it better.
