Managing Chronic Pain Without Drugs

This method was designed basically for people, suffering from occasional back pain, chronic back pain, neck and shoulder pain, joint pain or repetitive stress injury. The Anat Baniel Method employs an approach to pain and chronic pain relief without drugs that helps patients begin to feel relief from pain immediately. The Anat Baniel Method involves gentle and safe Transformational Movement. These movement exercises are done with awareness and create new neural transmission pathways or patterns in the brain bypassing previous painful habits.

This method takes into consideration the understanding of how the brain forms patterns of posture and movement good and bad ones. It also looks at all aspects of the person: body, mind, emotion and spirit and its relationship to pain. It addresses the QUALITY with which we move. This is necessary if we most recover from pain.

This Method offers natural pain relief solutions. The Anat Baniel Method can help you manage chronic pain with fewer drugs or with no drugs at all. By doing the Transformational Movement Lessons you will rid yourself of pain and chronic pain because your brain will form new neural pathways which will replace the old ones that cause you pain. For the new pathways to develop, your brain needs new information. However, this method has a lot to do with the mind as one must actually believe it will work. That is, believe in your efforts towards getting out of pain.

Yoga for Back Pain

By its nature, yoga is well suited to address back problems such as scoliosis (causes people to bend to one side, right or left) and kyphosis (patient tend to be unable to stand erect with the back straight), among others. As a whole body movement system, yoga develops body awareness and places emphasis on alignment. Yoga works the abdomen and calms the mind, helping to restore peace and promote healing. Yoga is generally safe and is used by seniors, athletes, kids, and adults.

Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture are used very effectively for back and neck injuries and chronic pain. Acupuncture has been growing in popularity in the U.S. in the last 20 years, and researchers have begun to study its effects on chronic neck pain. The 2006 research has a lot to say about on acupuncture for chronic neck pain.

Feldencrais
This is a system of learning about the body, increasing efficiency in the process. This takes strain off the joints and results in saving more energy. Feldencrais is offered by many premier pain management clinics as part of the treatment.

Massage techniques

For sore necks and more, holistic or alternative medicine is often recommended in the cases of chronic back pain and chronic neck pain. Holistic therapies tend to have little, if any side effects, while being effective and cost effective. This method is very sensitive when used for neck and back pain management because it involved manipulation around the vertebral column and that makes it risky if done by an unqualified personal.

Rest and sleep

Restful sleep is extremely important in managing chronic pain. Some people find it hard to get restful sleep without the use of sleep-inducing drugs or painkillers. For adequate sleep, listening to relaxation CDs or soothing music, the use of a nutritional supplement called 5-hydroxytryptophan a serotonin precursor responsible for sleep inducement in the brain, can help one sleep adequately. The combination of these methods can over time bring more restful sleep. Your doctor might also be able to give you specialized pillows, pads, and stretching devices to aid you in falling asleep less painfully.

Myofascial Release

A major key to managing chronic pain without the use of drugs is myofascial release therapy. Dealing with underlying issues related to pain, both physical and emotional aspects should be addressed. Myofascial release involves addressing the pain rather than merely enduring it. When a person experiences an injury, or stress-related bracing patterns in the fascia (the total body webbing underneath the skin), hard, painful or tender areas called restrictions trap pain that may be relieved through myofascial release.

Good management of ones nutrition should be an on going challenge. Dietary supplements with B vitamins, which are key to pain control, moderate exercise helps to loss weight which is an essential in people with rheumatoid arthritis as the weight puts a lot of load in the joint and cause more pain. Weight loss is also beneficial for people suffering waist pain.

The methods as outlined above have the special ability of giving desired relief within the shortest possible time and with an extra advantage of not coming with the addictive properties of prescription drugs. Combination of two of the methods usually offer better outcome. For example yoga combined with nutritional supplements of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP).

Acupuncture appears to be most effective of them all. At least as believed by many practitioners. The reason could be due to the fact that acupuncture manipulates the nervous system which is the system that makes us feel the pain in the first instance.