Pain is a natural part of life and serves a purpose by signaling to us that something is wrong or amiss, like when pain warns us when we accidentally touch a hot stove. However, it can be incredibly draining when pain is constant or left untreated—this kind of lasting pain really just creates unnecessary suffering and prevents people from living life to the fullest. There are two main types of pain:
- Acute pain happens suddenly and usually due to something happening in your body like disease, injury, or inflammation. It usually goes away with treatment once the core issue is diagnosed, but it can escalate and become chronic.
- Chronic pain is long-term pain that doesn’t go away after 3 months—it can even continue past your recovery from an issue in your body.
Pain isn’t just about discomfort either; chronic pain can be debilitating when it interferes with sleep, work, and participation in normal activities. It can also increase or irritate other health conditions, both physical and mental, and affect your relationships with others.
It’s clear that pain needs to be dealt with whenever possible to protect your wellness and happiness. This leads us to the question: how do people cope with constant pain? Chronic pain is one of the most draining and discouraging experiences, and it can vary greatly from person to person. One of the most common ways to deal with pain is by using drugs or medicine, but there are other ways that people manage pain without drugs, even chronic pain.
What are pain relievers?
Pain relievers are exactly what they sound like, medicines and substances that reduce or alleviate pain. There are different types of pain relievers, such as over-the-counter (OTC) medicine that can be bought without a prescription. Prescription painkillers on the other hand are stronger and tend to offer greater relief for severe or chronic pain. Analgesics, narcotics, painkillers, and pain medicine are all considered types of pain relievers, and they vary in intensity and price.
The problem with pain relievers is, they are usually a band-aid solution for serious problems. OTC pain relievers are decent for temporary pain like broken bones, headaches, colds or ear infections, burns, toothaches, muscle pain, etc. These pains are often treatable and work alongside other recovery techniques like rest, stretching, and more. The important thing in these scenarios is to actually treat the issue at hand instead of only numbing the pain.
If you deal with chronic pain caused by issues like cancer, fibromyalgia, migraines, nerve pain, or traumatic injuries, pain relievers can be life savers. Even in these scenarios, it’s still important to consider holistic or natural ways of relieving pain, especially because opioids and stronger pain relievers can be addictive or cause other health issues. Taking too much acetaminophen, for example, can cause liver issues if you take more than 3,000 milligrams a day over time. Dealing with frustrating or damaging side effects can make pain relievers more trouble than they are worth, so you can also explore other pain management without drugs.
How does tissue regeneration work?
One of the best ways to manage pain without drugs is with the modern practice of tissue regeneration. Tissue regeneration is a non-invasive, non-medication approach to pain relief that uses sound waves to promote the natural healing process of the body. This type of treatment is especially effective in treating musculoskeletal pain and injuries, such as back pain, arthritis, sprained muscles, osteoarthritis, and more. Essentially, tissue regeneration targets pain in the muscles, bones, joints, and adjacent connective tissues.
Best non-medication pain relief options
Finding out how to get rid of pain naturally takes time, research, and courage to try something new and let your body respond to different treatments. Understanding what your body needs often takes some trial and error, but you can protect your body in the long run by exploring different options other than drugs. Some pain is more debilitating than others and you may find that you still need medicinal pain relievers to an extent—but the following solutions are some of the best ways to alleviate pain naturally.
- Exercise
Lack of mobility can make chronic pain worse, so some light aerobic exercises like walking, swimming, or cycling can relieve pain and strengthen the muscles that are causing pain. Exercise can also decrease inflammation, which is a common source of chronic pain, and helps boost your health in general. Depending on the nature of your pain, it’s important to give your body rest too, so discuss your exercise options with your doctor.
- Cold and heat
Especially for injuries and muscle pain, one of the easiest and most effective ways to help with pain is to use a hot or cold compress. There are items like electric heating pads and ice machines that help with severe pain or homemade rice bags or a bag of frozen peas for smaller pains. Whatever the case, using cold and heat to help with pain is a classic pain solution that affects the flow of blood and reduces swelling.
- Meditation
Mindfulness meditation can help reduce pain by reducing stress and anxiety levels and reducing the “fight or flight” hormones that pain can trigger. Meditation involves focusing on the present moment and accepting your circumstances without judgment, which restores your sense of control. You can practice these kinds of techniques anywhere and they don’t require any equipment or special training; however, it may take time and practice to see the full benefits.
- Yoga and tai chi
Yoga and tai chi are low-impact activities that can help reduce pain, improve flexibility, strengthen muscles, and promote relaxation. They involve gentle stretching and breathing exercises and can be practiced by people of all ages and fitness levels. However, it is important to practice under the guidance of a trained instructor to avoid injury, especially if you’ve never tried it before.
- Psychosocial therapy/counseling
Medication is only one side of the story when it comes to mental wellness—there is also psychotherapy that can make a big difference in your health. Therapy can help individuals manage the emotional impact of chronic pain and improve coping skills. This results in reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, which can exacerbate chronic pain.
- Acupuncture
It may sound intimidating or interesting, but acupuncture offers some unique health benefits and pain relief. Acupuncture uses the insertion of needles into specific points on the body to reduce pain and promote healing. It has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine and is gaining popularity in the Western world. Go to a practiced professional who knows what they are doing to see if acupuncture is a good fit for you.
- Massage therapy
Massage therapy can help reduce pain, improve circulation, and reduce stress levels by applying pressure to the muscles and tissues. This method also helps distract your mind from the pain by competing for the attention of your nerves from pain signals.
- Biofeedback techniques
Biofeedback therapy can help individuals learn to control their bodily functions and reduce pain with relation and breathing exercises. It involves using sensors to monitor the body’s responses to stress and pain ( like your heart rate and blood pressure) and teaching individuals to monitor and control those responses.
SoftWave TRT is a company that specializes in tissue regeneration, and it offers a range of solutions for chronic pain management that are non-invasive and don’t rely on medication. The benefits of tissue regeneration include reduced inflammation, increased mobility, and of course, pain relief. Pain can weigh you down physically, mentally, and emotionally, but there are options out there that are scientifically sound and easier on your body than drugs are. To better understand SoftWave technology, create a tailored pain relief plan for your situation, and experience true healing, find or become a provider today!