Holistic Pain Management
Alternative Therapies For Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is a serious condition that affects an estimated 50 million adults in the United States. It can also lead to an increased risk of major mental conditions including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
When a person is diagnosed with pain, the first line of treatment is typically pain medication. These traditional medications work for some people, however, for others the side effects may outweigh the benefits.
For patients looking to explore alternative therapies for pain management, there are a number of options to consider.
Chiropractic Adjustments
The goal of chiropractic care is to realign and manipulate the spine and neck in a way that relieves pain, promotes healing, and improves overall body function.
Chiropractic care may also include other treatments, including manual or manipulative therapies, postural and exercise education, and ergonomic training (how to walk, sit, and stand to limit back strain). Chiropractors often work in conjunction with primary care doctors, pain experts, and surgeons to treat patients with pain.
Acupuncture
Traditional Chinese medical practitioners developed acupuncture to treat a wide range of health problems.
It’s now commonly used in Eastern and Western cultures to treat everything from seasonal allergies to pain, stress, nausea, and more.
According to Chinese medicine, energy flows through our body through meridian pathways—often thought of as a highway system in the body. Stress acts like a traffic jam, blocking the free flow of energy (Qi) throughout the body. Acupuncture treatment clears these roadblocks and helps energy flow smoothly, alleviating your symptoms.
Massage
Massage therapy is one of the oldest known healthcare practices, dating back to ancient Chinese texts that are 4,000 years old.
It involves manipulating the body's soft tissues to relieve soreness, tightness, pain, stress, and increase circulation.
Massage therapy has the added benefit of reducing stress, depression, and anxiety, as well as treating headaches/migraines.
Your therapist will help you choose which style of massage — Swedish, deep tissue, Shiatsu, trigger point, reflexology—works best for you.
Deep Breathing
Practicing the art of deep breathing brings a number of amazing benefits to the body.
It helps slow the heartbeat, relax muscles, lower blood pressure, and reduce stress. All of which decrease muscle tension and can lead to lower pain levels. There are many ways to practice deep breathing, including yoga, meditation, and other relaxation techniques.
Exercise
Exercise is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health and it’s a common treatment for chronic pain.
Exercise can help decrease inflammation, increase mobility, and decrease overall pain levels with no additional medication required.
No matter how much pain you are in, there are exercises you can do.
Depending on your pain level, you can start small—hand squeezes or ankle rolls—and increase as you progress. You can try cardio, yoga, stretching, strength exercises, or any combination of these exercises depending on what your chiropractor, physical therapist, or doctor recommends.
We love yoga at HFC and offer regular yoga classes to help ease your pain and reduce stress
Correct Your Posture
Poor posture can lead to back, hip, and knee pain, among other things.
All of the above methods can help with posture, but if you are looking for something you can do immediately to help bring pain relief, we recommend trying these five things:
1. Check your posture
2. Move every hour
3. Breathwork. Do four counts of 30 seconds to 1 minute of deep, conscious breathing.
4. Reduce inflammation by eating better and healing your gut
5. Take a few minutes to meditate or journal
If you’re experiencing chronic pain but are looking for a holistic pain management approach, contact us today. We can help you determine the best course of action so that you start finding relief soon!