Natural Pain Relief To Minimize Medication Usage

Would you believe me if I told you I haven’t taken any over-the-counter or prescription pain medications in over 3 years?

I can remember exactly the last time I took an OTC (over-the-counter medication), it was September 7, 2011 during the widespread Southern California power outage and I was on my deathbed with a debilitating ear infection.

That was also the last time I ever had an ear infection. The pain I experienced with that ear infection was the last straw for me. I vowed to never have to go through that kind of excruciating pain again, and I committed myself to healing my body no matter how long or how much it would take.

Part of healing my body meant eliminating my exposure to toxins and chemicals, a lot of which can be found in some of the most regularly used OTC’s and prescription medications including painkillers (aka NSAIDS), birth control and anti-histamines.

We tend to think that just because these medications are FDA approved they are safe for us and that’s not exactly the case. All you have to do is look at the LONG list of side effects to get an idea of how potentially dangerous they can be.

OTC’s and prescriptions provide immediate relief, but they also cause long-term damage.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as Motrin, Aleve and Advil are huge contributors to leaky gut because they violently inflame the intestinal lining. Over time, this regular assault of inflammation from these types of medications (and prescription ones too) wares down the gut, destroying healthy bacteria and leaving it unable to fight off other infections.

The biggest long term side effect of these meds is leaky gut, and when your gut is leaky that means you’re even more susceptible to…

Allergies, infections, colds and flus
Chronic inflammation and pain
Depression, anxiety and mood swings
Adrenal and thyroid dysfunction
Insomnia, fatigue and just poor quality sleep
And more…

In this week’s video and blog I talk more about the long term side effects of OTC’s, prescriptions, and natural pain relievers to help you get off these medications to heal your gut, adrenals, thyroid and promote optimal health!

The root of all disease and pain is inflammation, so the first thing you can do to reduce any pain you’re experiencing is to work eliminating the factors contributing to your inflammation.  

Since over 80% of your immune system is located in the gut, you want to reduce inflammation in the gut so your immune system can effectively do its job.  By doing this simple thing, inflammation will start to decrease everywhere in the body.

You can reduce inflammation using food, sleep, by avoiding toxins and healing your gut.

When my clients are experiencing pain, I look to provide them what I call “relief care”- some type of holistic or homeopathic remedy to ease their pain in the short term while we work on the lifestyle factors that will give them long term relief.

These are some of my top tips for natural pain “relief care” to address the most common types of pain and to kick the use of OTC’s, NSAIDs and potentially prescriptions that are causing more long term damage and pain….

Migraines/Tension Headaches

  • Peppermint essential oil – diffuse or rub a small amount under your nose and temples- this opens up blood vessels delivering more blood flow and oxygen to the brain
  • Meditation – a minimum of 10 minutes can make all the difference
  • Arnica – a homeopathic remedy for muscle tension/soreness- you can ingest it or apply it topically to the area of tension
  • Try all of the above together for super strength pain relief

Joint or Muscle Aches/Pains

  • Cold & Hot Shower – alternating cold and hot water for 2 minutes at a time, get inflammation moving out of the body
  • Arnica – a homeopathic remedy for muscle tension/soreness, you can ingest it or apply it topically to the area of tension
  • Magnesium – start with 200mg and you can slowly increase to 400mg for pain relief and muscle recovery (be careful, too much at once can cause diarrhea)
  • Try all of the above together for super strength pain relief

Menstrual Cramps

  • Caulophyllum Talictroides – a homeopathic supplement found at your local health food store that can be ingested
  • Magnesia Phos – another homeopathic supplement found at your local health food store that can be ingested
  • Arnica – a homeopathic remedy for muscle tension/soreness, you can ingest it or apply it topically to the area of tension
  • Exercise – believe it or not, getting up and going for a walk or moving your body helps to balance your hormones to alleviate cramps and other PMS symptoms
  • Try all of the above together for super strength pain relief

Allergies

  • Quercetin and Nettles – these two herbal supplements are packed full of anti-histamine power, you can usually find both of them as ingredients in a holistic allergy relief supplement
  • Lemon Water – lemon helps to thin mucus, to relieve congestion and to remove toxins created by allergens
  • Avoid Gluten & Dairy – both of these food groups are HUGE contributors to inflammation, leaky gut and mucus production
  • Try all of the above together for super strength pain relief

Give some of these things a try the next time you’re struck with pain.  In the beginning they may not have as powerful of a punch as the medications you’re used to taking, but starting to make the shift will make a difference over time.

Ultimately what is going to help you be pain free like me (eventually), is adopting a healthy lifestyle centered around eating an anti-inflammatory diet, getting adequate sleep, reducing your toxic exposure, and having an outlet for stress.  

This type of healthy lifestyle is what I’ve committed to and here I am- 5 years ear infection, OTC, NSAID and prescription pain med free 🙂

If you want to explore more ways to relieve your pain naturally, then schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me here.

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