Non Drug Pain Relief
Medicine can be a game changer in our day to day, but what are some other things we can do for pain relief? The research isn’t as convincing as we’d like, so it really comes down to what feels best for your body. Lets chat about common modalities, misconceptions, and what I personally recommend.
Massage: This is often a go to for pain relief, whether from a practitioner, partner, or self. There are a million different tools that you can use for this. Massage activates mechanoreceptors which can help with pain relief. This is the same concept as bumping your leg and then instinctively rubbing it to help it feel better. So which tools should we use? Ultimately, whatever feels good. If pain is coming from instability, we want to limit deep tissue massages and vibration tools on a really high setting (highest setting of thera-gun). Keep in mind that deep tissue massages may help short term, but I encourage you to note if pain worsens after. This could be your body telling you to lighten up on the pressure a bit.
TENS Unit: These can be great for short term pain relief. It blocks nerve signals and usually feels like a light tingling sensation, though everyone's experience can be different. Our Chaos Coordinator Jess has not enjoyed using them, feeling intense tingling on even the lowest setting. Overall the reception varies - I’ve seen these help a lot, not help at all, or not be tolerable. If you're interested, these can be purchased online for relatively cheap and may be worth trying if nerve pain is a common issue for you. Look into the risks before trying something like this, although generally safe, should not be used if you have a pacemaker, metal implants, epilepsy, etc.
Heat vs cold: I get asked a lot which is better. The only time I don’t recommend heat is immediately after an injury or surgery with a lot of swelling. Heat speeds up circulation while cold slows it down. Inflammation to some extent is important for healing, so that doesn’t mean we need to freeze away anything that has some inflammation. Did you twist your ankle? I usually start with ice. Are your muscles sore? I like to go for heat. There’s not a right or wrong here, listen to what your body is asking for. For me, I’m hopping in an Epsom salt bath!
Patches & creams, etc.: These may help, I like to use magnesium creams and menthol infused K tape. May be a nice supplement but not usually my first form of treatment.
Movement: Movement is my favorite form of pain relief in both the short term and the long term. Any of these modalities can be added for pain relief, but a movement routine should always be at the center of your pain relief journey. 2x/week strengthening, gentle walks most day, and as often as needed gentle movement and nerve glides can be a game changer!
TENS Unit
This is a nice affordable TENS unit that has a ton of good reviews! If you’re interested, this might be where you start. You can find it on my Amazon Storefront.
Epsom Salt
I like to be salty inside and out. You can grab a cheap bag of Epsom salt to help your muscles relax!
Pain Cream
I used to hear about this when I worked in the clinic for use with arthritic pain. It’s basically an anti-inflammatory that goes right on the skin!
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This blog is written based on personal experience and is not medical advice. Always ask your doctor for individual concerns and support.