6 Treatments to Help You Reduce or Eliminate Chronic Body Pain

Chronic body pain can affect every aspect of your daily routine from inhibiting your ability to sleep to limiting your range of motion and mobility. In the past, prescription painkillers were found to be highly effective in reducing or eliminating chronic pain, but they came with hazardous side effects. Rather than facing the cycle of addiction caused by those drugs, there are healthier alternatives available in the modern age.

Exercise and Physical Activity

Getting enough exercise is important for everyone since it helps maintain physical health in a number of different ways. Physical activity is especially important for someone who suffers from chronic pain since those benefits are significantly maximized. 

Through regular exercise, you’ll build lean muscle mass, burn more fat, and strengthen the connective tissue between the joints. These benefits will help your body reduce the inflammation that causes or worsens chronic pain. 

As the inflammation subsides, you’ll experience a better range of motion as well. Start gradually and follow the advice of your doctor. As you build more muscle, you’ll be able to increase the intensity of your workouts.

Physical Therapy

Several different types of physical therapy have been found to be effective in reducing or eliminating chronic pain. Some examples of these treatments include deep tissue massage, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy (TENS). 

The practice of TENS involves electrically stimulating the nerves surrounding the area affected by chronic pain. Each of these methods addresses pain differently by either stimulating the nerves or reducing internal inflammation. 

For that reason, you should try a variety of different types of physical therapy to find the one that’s the most effective in treating your condition.

Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers

While it’s important to reduce chronic pain without taking addictive prescription drugs, there are plenty of OTC treatment options that don’t rely on opioids. Depending on the intensity of your chronic pain, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be very useful in reducing or eliminating pain. 

Drugs in this class include aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen. Acetaminophen is also an effective nonprescription medication for treating physical pain. Additionally, a topical lotion or cream can be applied to the site of the pain to alleviate it more directly. Look for lotions and creams designed to treat muscle soreness and pain.

Trigger Point Injections

When muscles don’t properly relax, knots or trigger points form, leading to a condition that produces chronic pain. When this occurs, the best treatment method involves injecting a steroid or another substance into the trigger point with a thin needle. 

A growing treatment that has been found effective is regenerative orthopedics, which involves extracting regenerative cells from bone marrow and fat tissue to be injected into the trigger point. These trigger point injections provide direct healing power to alleviate the knots in the muscle. The result is increased mobility and a significant reduction of chronic muscle pain.

Natural Herbal Remedies

Certain herbs contain healing properties and antioxidants, which are effective in reducing inflammation and infections. While some herbal remedies aren’t backed up by scientific studies, others have the support of fact-based research.

In particular, studies back up the claims that white willow bark, cat’s claw, devil’s claw, turmeric, and ginger are effective in treating chronic pain. 

Although natural herbs aren’t considered drugs, they can adversely interact with medications you may already be taking. Be sure to consult your doctor before trying an herbal remedy to treat your chronic pain.

Switch to a Healthier Diet

The foods you eat will affect the severity of your chronic pain so consider changing to a healthier range of foods. In particular, avoid foods rich in sugar and trans fats. These unhealthy substances will increase pain-causing inflammation. 

Conversely, choosing healthier foods will give your body the nutrients it needs to fight inflammation, infection, and other conditions harmful to your health. Raw vegetables and fruits have been found to be especially effective in treating pain caused by fibromyalgia. 

In general, look for foods that contain anti-inflammatory properties, such as salmon, blueberries, green tea, cherries, and tomatoes. There are many more anti-inflammatory foods that you can find through a quick online search. Adding more of these foods to your diet can reduce your chronic pain and boost your energy levels.

Bottom Line

You should also talk to your doctor about more alternatives for alleviating chronic body pain. Seeking out natural remedies and therapies can help you restore your quality of life without suffering adverse side effects. You’ll feel healthier and you’ll be better able to resume a more normal daily routine.