Many people suffer from chronic pain due to illness, disease or an unknown reason. In fact, WebMD points out just how many people suffer from chronic pain and how it is impacting healthcare in America, “More than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain at a cost of around $600 billion a year in medical treatments and lost productivity, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM).” Chronic pain is often dealt with by the use of pharmaceuticals to help people live their day to day lives and attempt to maintain a sense of normalcy. But, unfortunately, pharmaceuticals only mask the symptoms and offer no long-lasting relief from chronic pain. While pharmaceuticals have their place and, in some cases, are certainly necessary, they are not the only answer. What many do not know is that there are natural and holistic ways to manage chronic pain that do not involve a pill bottles and may even provide long-term relief and may even cure the underlying cause of chronic pain.
No one wants to suffer and doctors do not want to see their patients suffer and when medication can quickly relieve symptoms, it is often the first life of defense. What is concerning is that once a medication cycle begins, a patient tends to just go forward managing and coping with their pain. They stop looking for the source of the pain and just accept their fate. Naturopathic and holistic doctors are interested in the whole body, what may be causing the chronic pain, and trying to find natural ways to manage and hopefully rid altogether the symptoms of pain. There are a wide range of reasons one might experience chronic pain and naturopathic doctors will take the time to really explore and investigate the source of pain. Chronic pain may be caused by inflammation, injury, improper diet, disease or something else, but chronic pain does not just show up for no reason. There is a source and if the source can be investigated, pain can be mitigated or removed altogether. There is certainly no one-size-fits-all approach and the answer may not be obvious immediately.
When treating chronic pain naturally, a variety of techniques and treatments may be explored to determine what works best for the individual patient. These natural pain management techniques may include one or all of the following: nutritional counseling and changes, craniosacral therapy, nutritional and herbal supplements, prayer and meditation, acupuncture, acupressure, chiropractic care, IV and injection therapy, massage, hydrotherapy and more. If you have had a problem with pain management, or have had long-lasting chronic pain problems, it is important to speak to a naturopathic doctor about what potential treatment options may be right for you. With help from a naturopathic doctor you may be able to better manage your chronic pain or eliminate it altogether through the use of more natural, safe, holistic treatments.