The usual thing is to treat pain using conventional medicines, commonly referred to as the pain killers or opioids. But the downside to opioids is that they can be highly addictive after continuous use for some time and may have some adverse effects on the users. It is for this reason that alternative treatments came to the scene.
Some of these treatments started many years and were being used in some early civilizations like China. One of the common alternative therapies for pain is CBD, a derivative of the cannabis plant.
Below are some of the alternative treatments for pain management:
Massage Therapy
You must have used to relax your muscles after working out, and chance are that you felt better. Well, massage is a treatment method for a myriad of pains, and it has been in use for many centuries. It involves manipulating the soft tissues, impacting the circulation, nervous and lymphatic systems, and the muscles. Besides, many clinical studies have shown that massage is an effective treatment for pain management, and more so, it works well for chronic lower back pain.
Acupuncture
This method has been part of Eastern medicine for hundreds of years and is applied for treating pain, nausea, and several other conditions. Acupuncture involves the use of needles to activate specific points under the skin, even on the surface. This alternative therapy is based on the premise that the needles stimulate nerves, transmitting signals to the brain to produce feel-good hormones like beta-endorphins.
The nerve stimulation is also assumed to activate the nerve growth factor, which aids in nerve regeneration. Also, the action reduces pro-inflammatory markers responsible for pain and inflammation. Numerous studies, including one by the Harvard Medical School, have given findings that acupuncture effectively relieves common forms of pain by up to 50%.
Aromatherapy
Perhaps it sounds silly and ineffective to most people, for one with pain resorting to smelling something to feel better. However, aromatherapy, which involves using scents from some essential plant oils inhaled or applied on the skin, has been used from ancient Egyptian times. Some of the essential oils used and are still used nowadays include lavender oil, peppermint oil, African marigold oil, and chamomile oil. The principle behind aromatherapy is that it stimulates the brain’s limbic system to reduce anxiety and chronic pain.
