Non-Medication Tips to Reduce Your Back, Joint & Overall Bodily Pains

For a large number of Americans, pain in varying form is just part of their daily life. More than half of Americans suffer from physical pain, which means that if you were to ask someone randomly on the street if they were in pain, it is highly likely that the answer would be yes.

Findings from a nationwide phone survey of over 1,200 Americans showed that back pain was the most common type of pain reported, followed by knee and shoulder pain, joint pain and headaches.

On a more positive note, pain can be a good thing. It can serve as a warning of deeper, underlying problems, which may otherwise go unnoticed. That being said, it's extremely important to never ignore pain. It is essential to seek out and address whatever problem may be causing you the pain. Once you have addressed the problem, most likely the pain will subside. If for some reason the pain remains, here are some tactics to try that don't involve and prescription or over-the-counter drug usage:

1. Stretching

Stretching regularly is an excellent way to relieve physical pain. After just three weeks, many individuals will notice a 50% reduction in their pain. Stretching helps to reduce tension in your muscles, improve flexibility and range of motion, and may slow the degeneration of your joints. Improvements in blood circulation has also been found to help you relax, which is a key to pain relief.

2. Reduce/Prevent Inflammation
When your body is in a chronic state of inflammation, the inflammation can lodge in your muscles, joints and tissues. This leads to pain over time, as well as numerous chronic diseases such as heart disease. Too much stress, a poor diet and not enough physical activity contributes to this inflammation.

One of the safest and most effective ways to reduce your inflammation is to modify your lifestyle and dietary choices. Dietary modifications include eating a variety of anti-inflammatory foods such as fruits and vegetables, and limiting or avoiding pro-inflammatory foods such as processed foods, high sugar foods, and trans fats. Exercising on a regular basis (3-5 times per week) and quitting smoking are also lifestyle modifications that will help to reduce inflammation in your body.

3. Regular Exercise
There are a variety of treatment options available to help reduce the effects of pain. Proactive behaviors such as recognizing emotions and practicing relaxation techniques to reduce stress, pacing activities and working within personal limits, and exercising on a regular basis may contribute to better pain control.

Although you may be tempted to avoid exercise when you're facing pain, the truth is, a regular exercise program can actually help to alleviate your pain. How is this possible? Exercise prompts your body to release endorphins, which are chemicals that help to block pain signals from reaching your brain. Researchers have found that endorphins, in many cases, are more powerful than morphine. An added bonus is that exercise can also contribute to better quality sleep, more energy during your day (allowing you to cope with your pain), and help you to lose weight, which relieves excess strain on joints.

Quality Sleep & Relaxation
Sleep is one of the most important and critical elements of living a healthy lifestyle, but is so often overlooked. Sleep is the time when your body is able to do repair work. Getting a good night's sleep allows your body to fight and work hard toward healing - whether your pain is from injury or due to an underlying condition.

Unfortunately, individuals with pain typically have a hard time falling to sleep. Relaxation techniques may be helpful in putting your pain aside and allowing your body to release tension that has built up during your day and allowing your muscles to be in a relaxed state. Breathing exercises that help you to focus on your breath and be more in touch with your body are extremely effective. Progressive relaxation is also a relaxation technique to try, which involves tensing a muscle and then fully relaxing it. This exercise is typically done from head to toe in an effort to relax your entire body.

Meditation/Prayer
Similar to relaxation, meditation and prayer are effective ways to relax your body, focus your mind and reduce stress. Prayer has been shown to be as, if not more, effective than prescription drugs for its ability to relieve pain - and without any of the side effects.

Meditation includes deep concentration, during which you focus on a single object, phrase or thought - often in combination with deep breathing exercises. Some individuals find reading, writing and thinking about those you love to be forms of meditation. The key is to choose something that works for you to relax and focus.

Chiropractic
Considered a healing art when it comes to human health and disease processes. Doctors of Chiropractic vary in their methods, but their approach is similar in that they consider man as an integrated being and give special attention to the physiological and biochemical aspects including structural, spinal, musculoskeletal, neurological, vascular, nutritional, emotional and environmental relationships. Chiropractic is ranked very high in relieving pain.

Massage Therapy
Massage therapy has been shown to help individuals become more aware of their bodies, and therefore they are able to pinpoint the source of their pain. The human touch and manipulation of muscles and joints also helps to relieve tension and the body to eliminate toxins - both of which help to reduce inflammation.

Hot and Cold Packs
Although they do not provide long-term relief, hot and cold packs can be an extremely effective pain management technique for short-term relief. Hot packs are helpful for sore muscles, whole cold packs are most effective for numbing the affected area. Be sure not to use packs that are too hot or cold, and be sure to wrap cold packs with a towel to avoid exposure directly to your skin.