Sarí Harrar - Relief at Last!: The Prevention® Guide to Natural Pain Relief

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T heres nothing small about chronic pain. On any given day, its big news. Headlines in newspapers, on TV and on the Web trumpet new treatments to ease it, new discoveries about what causes it, and new tips for controlling it. Its big money: According to the National Institutes of Health, chronic pain costs a whopping $100 billion a year. Thats money spent on everything from bottles of aspirin and heating pads to knee replacements, spine surgeries and IV drugs (as well as the cost of lost wages and lawsuits).

If you or someone you love lives with chronic pain, you know firsthand that its a big dealcrowding out everyday pleasures, sending you to more and more doctors, getting in the way of work, relationships, running errands, taking care of your home and enjoying family and friends. It invades every corner of your life.

Too often, chronic pain is also a big mystery. The National Library of Medicine contains nearly a half-million studies of pain. Yet despite mountains of research, too many people live with long-lasting pain. Scientists are still unraveling the reasons it lingers (youll read some of the latest findings in Chapter ). But you dont have to wait for their final word in order to find big relief.

Throughout this book, youll discover why combining old and new pain therapies into a new pain prescription has been the solution for so many people. Using conventional therapies (drugs and other treatments) along with alternative and complementary therapies (relaxation exercises, guided imagery, exercise, smart food choices and more) can work better than drugs alone. It can help when drugs fail and may even allow you to take less medication. It can brighten your mood, reduce stress, strengthen your body, let you get a good nights sleep, help you return to work and give you better pain control. And best of all, let you step back into the life you love.

I n Part One of Relief at Last, youll find out why cutting-edge pain clinics are proving that you dont have to put up with chronic pain. The way out? Go beyond over-the-counter pain relievers and prescription painkillers. New research shows that some old, even ancient, healing modalities have what it takes to ease painby attacking it on many levels.

In this section, youll discover new thinking about what causes chronic painhow it changes your nervous system and brain in ways that lower your pain threshold, changes the pain signals transmitted to your brain (so that small slightslike the rub of a sweater on your armsuddenly feel agonizing), and increases pain intensity. Youll also find out about a vicious mind-body glitch that makes pain worse. Coping with everyday pain can increase your risk for depression and leave you feeling stressed and anxious. And these negative feelings, in turn, alter the way your brain interprets pain signals so that theyre louder. The good news? Using a combination-care approachsmart pain relievers: medications targeted to your specific pain condition plus nondrug therapiescan break this cycle and bring relief.

Youll learn about four important nondrug healing modalities: food and supplements, exercise and movement therapies, touch therapies, and mind-body therapies proven to ease even the most tough-to-treat types of chronic pain. And youll find smart advice on using pain relievers and other pain-condition medications safely and wisely.

After the accident, I had burning pain that started in my foot and went up my leg and into my back. The pain should have eased off after a few weeks, but instead it got worse and worse.

I hate the pain inside meits an invader trying to take over. People cant see it, so they think Im okay. But Im not. I cant work. I cant play with my kids. Im angry and depressedand scared.

If you havent lived with chronic pain, you cant imagine what its like. Everythings taken away from you. The smallest things, like brushing your teeth, can be excruciating. I feel like Im trapped in the body of a 90-year-old man.

C hronic pain. It gnaws and stabs, stings and aches, jabs and throbsbut it doesnt let up. We try to soothe itwith 30 billion over-the-counter pain pills and over 100 million prescriptions for narcotic painkillers every year.often seeing three, four, five, or even dozens of doctors in search of real help.

Defined as any pain that lasts more than 3 to 6 months, chronic pain includes headaches, backaches, joint pain, nerve damage, digestive problems, cancer-related pain, and more. Its the bad back that keeps flaring up. The nerve damage from diabetes that sends stinging, shooting pains into your toes and fingertips. The cramping and bloating of irritable bowel syndrome. The deep aches of fibromyalgia and cancer. The migraine headaches that leave you flat on your back in a dark room pressing a bag of ice to your temples. The arthritis in your knees that makes sitting down, standing up, or running after your toddler-age grandchildren excruciating instead of fun. Or the mystery pain that started after an accident or injury and hasnt stopped.

Theres plenty about chronic pain that doesnt make sense. Why does pain keep ringing alarm bells long after an injury has healed? Why do depression and fear make pain so much worse? Why do so many doctors ignore, misunderstand, or undertreat pain in the twenty-first century?

But one thing about chronic pain is crystal clear: It doesnt have to rule your life.

I feel like a new person!

I not only have less back pain, I am more aware of my life and am learning to live it to the fullest.

My pain isnt completely gone, but Im amazed by how Im able to deal with it. Pain relievers help take the edge off. And I also know how to relax my whole body; thanks to biofeedback and muscle relaxation, Im controlling my pain with my mind. Im exercising, too, even though at first I really didnt want to. I feel less stressed. Im stronger and more confident. Im in control now.

Pain researchers and pain specialists say theres better evidence now than ever before that if youre coping with chronic pain, you can get the relief you need and reclaim your life. The secret? Using the right pain medications and medical treatments along with a smart mix of complementary therapies. Were talking about dietary therapies (including supplements), movement therapies (such as exercise, physical therapy, yoga, and more), mind-body therapies (from guided imagery and meditation to hypnotherapy and beyond), and touch therapies (acupuncture, massage, and others).

These arent just nice add-ons. Plenty of well-designed studies show that these healing modalities work on many levels to reduce pain and give you back a sense of control. As pain researchers understand more about how chronic pain wreaks havoc in your nervous system and even in the circuitry of your brain, the importance of these nondrug therapies for getting real relief is growing stronger. Many address pain in ways that pain relievers, surgery, and other treatments cannot.

Were not suggesting you ditch your medications or cancel your next doctors appointment. The combination approachwhat the nations cutting-edge pain clinics call multidisciplinary pain managementalmost always includes drugs as well as other medical treatments as needed. Research shows that combining these conventional pain therapies with unconventional approaches brings more relief than drugs alone.