Naturally Therapeutic Pain Relief

Pain.  What is pain?  Is pain merely a series of electrical
currents, perceived as an unpleasant sensation, which
silently but quickly travel through our body where there
has been some sort of trauma?  Well, pretty much, on a
purely scientific level, this is exactly what pain is.

Inflammation and other injuries cause pressure.  This
pressure in turn affects the surrounding nerve endings,
which send signals (like electric currents, if you will, as
an analogy) to the brain that are translated into something
we all know as pain and discomfort.

No one wants to be in pain, whether it be the dull,
throbbing kind that often comes with muscle injuries or the
sharp, sudden pain that can come from deeper, more severe
damage that has actually affected nerve endings.

Either way, drug companies have definitely capitalized on
the fact that we do not relish the idea of living in pain,
even moderate, consistent pain, and narcotic and over the
counter pain relievers have enjoyed hefty sales since their
introduction to market.  But are there ways, more natural
and healthier ways, to effectively treat and alleviate pain?

Yes, there are, and not only do they usually have other
health benefits besides the obvious one of relieving pain,
but they also have long term implications in your life as a
pain free, healthy and productive person.

The first naturally therapeutic method for relieving pain,
which has actually been used in Asian countries for
thousands of years, and many people find highly effective,
is called acupuncture.  Acupuncture, and acupressure, are
two different practices which apply the concept of pressure
points and nerve manipulation.

Acupuncture actually "punctures" the skin with special tiny
needles, which penetrate to a precise level beneath the
dermis to cause a manipulation of nerve endings which are
supposedly housed in specific locations on the body and
whose location is known only by experienced practitioners.

The same concept applies with acupressure, but only no
needles are used, and there is no puncturing of the skin
and penetration, but instead a pressure is applied to these
areas where the nerve endings are housed which are causing
the specific pain a person is experiencing.

Two other natural therapies for pain relief are slow moving
exercises which focus on smooth, even breathing.  Even
breathing techniques combined with stretching and slower,
graceful movements can really help to increase the
circulation, decrease muscle tensions, increase the
endorphins (pleasure chemicals) circulating, and mitigate
any feelings of pain that are going on in the body.

Examples of this are yoga, tai chi, and pilates.
Strengthening the body also can help to relieve pain by
increasing the muscle strength, and helping to counteract
weak muscles which lead to pain as well as damaged nerves
endings.


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Danna Schneider is the founder of
http://www.herbalnewsmagazine.com and
http://www.herbal-therapeutics.com where news and
suggestions on new natural products and alternative health
can be found.