Pain Relief - Naturally
Back in 2004, Vioxx (rofecoxib) joined a growing list of painkillers found to be a potentially serious public health risk. At that time the manufacturer voluntarily withdrew its blockbuster drug from the market because it increased users' risk of serious cardiovascular side effects. Former Vioxx users raised an obvious question: "How can I safely control my pain?" To answer this, it helps to know a bit about the pain process.
What's Happening Inside
Pain is often the result of an inflammatory response in the body. This is especially true in arthritis, and painkiller drugs have for many years targeted the inflammation pathways in the body. A significant chemical family is known as cyclooxygenase (COX), with two branches: COX-1 and COX-2. Back in the 1960s, aspirin-based drugs were touted as state-of-the-art palliatives for arthritis. But, as you probably know by now, aspirin carries some risk, not the least of which is gastrointestinal bleeding. Aspirin is what's known as a non-selective inhibitor, meaning that it affects both the COX-1 and the COX-2 pathways. The COX-1 enzyme supports the gastrointestinal lining, so anything that blocks COX-1 leaves the stomach vulnerable to attack from its own acids. The COX-2 enzyme, on the other hand, is the dominant enzyme at the site of inflammation, and has very little activity in the stomach, kidneys, or platelets.
In theory, a drug that blocked only COX-2 would limit inflammation (and therefore pain), without the GI side effects. It should also be good for the heart, because COX-2 inhibits thrombosis. This hypothesis did not play out in practice, however, as COX-2 users suffered more serious heart events with minimal GI benefits. I suggest a more conservative approach to pain relief by first trying out a natural therapy to address your concern before jumping straight to a synthetic prescription painkiller. One thing to bear in mind is that, in general, natural solutions work more slowly than synthetic drugs, so they require a bit of patience, but the long-term benefits more than make up for that; they are much safer, and over time your relief can be greater than with drugs.
Natural Alternatives
Nature offers a wide variety of substances that can relieve everyday muscle and joint pain. Some of them work topically (applied directly to your skin), and some work internally. Topical applications tend to give you prompt relief, which can be a blessing while you're waiting for internal therapies to take effect. Essential oils, such as menthol, work by creating a hot/cold effect. Capsaicin, from cayenne pepper, works by depleting substance P (the P stands for pain. Products like these can naturally—and safely—provide welcome rapid results while your supplements work on nutritional support for soothing, repairing, and healing.
Supplements with anti-inflammatory properties include Collagen type II, Chinese herbal extracts (such as acacia and skullcap), white willow bark (from which aspirin was synthesized), SAMe, green-lipped New Zealand mussels, gelatin, turmeric, and boswellic acid. This many choices can be intimidating, so I'll give you my top selections here. You do not need to take all of these, or even several of them, at one time. Each works differently for different people, so give one a try, and if it's not giving you the effect you're looking for, move on to the next. Having said that, a combination of supporting nutrients, such as collagen type II and SAMe, can be very effective.
Collagen type II not only provides raw materials for joint repair and building, but may naturally help stabilize immune response, and neutralize destructive abnormal molecules that can be responsible for joint pain. It contains a number of valuable nutrients, including type II collagen protein (amino acids), chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid, glucosamine sulfate, and proteoglycans. This matrix of connective tissue components provides valuable specific support for maintaining the health of your joints and more, like skin, heart, and eyes. It is well absorbed, and shown to help reduce pain and inflammation and repair joint cartilage. Dosages range from 500 to 2,000 mg daily.
Chinese herbs are often combined to greater effect than any of them used individually. A combination that has been demonstrated effective in several clinical studies is acacia and Chinese skullcap, available in a product called Univestin. Take 500 mg daily.
White willow bark has impressive research behind it. It is better tolerated and more effective than many conventional therapies. Try 400 mg daily, in divided doses.
SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine) is thought to protect synovial cells, important cartilage proteins, and proteoglycans in the joint lining. Many people have had success with 200-400 mg per day.
Green-lipped mussel extract contains a wide array of nutritional elements good for our joints, including amino acids, fatty acids, glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), chondroitin sulfate, chelated minerals, and more. The human clinical science is still small and not definitive, but promising. Take 500-1,500 mg daily.
Gelatin, which is a collagen, is somewhat of a puzzle. We don't know how it works, only that it does. German and Czech studies have shown that 7-10 grams a day for 30-90 days can decrease the pain and stiffness associated with moderate arthritis. Who knew Jell-O might actually come to the rescue?
Turmeric contains curcuminoids and has been studied extensively. It affects the pathways of half a dozen different compounds that affect inflammation. If you're taking turmeric straight from the jar, you'll need about a teaspoon per day. If you'd prefer a supplement, take 600 mg once a day.
Boswellic acid from the frankincense herb is well researched and widely available as an ingredient in formulas for pain and inflammation. Take 750-900 mg daily in divided doses. However, if you have a sensitive stomach you may want to skip this one.
Beyond Supplements
Acupuncture, coupled with an individualized herbal program, can be one of the best solutions to managing and beating your pain. And don't forget your chiropractor, as your structure dictates how well you function. Chiropractic therapy has helped me many times through sports injuries, back problems, and life's stresses on my body, so I have great faith in its ability to help you, too.
Lifestyle changes can improve joint pain, too. Yoga, stress reduction, moderate exercise, massage, and hydrotherapy can all make your joints more flexible, healthier, and pain-free. For your muscles, ligaments, and joints, movement and stretching saves and improves their health, even though at first it may feel too painful. After you are warmed up, and you feel more alive, with less pain, then make sure to stretch when you're finished to keep the joint and tendons flexible. As the saying goes, "Use it or lose it." That's true even for an arthritic joint, though "use it and help repair it" might be more accurate.
If you feel you must use a drug, whether prescription or over-the-counter, remember that drugs are only a short-term solution, and even then can come with life-threatening risks. Use them to tide you over while you're working to heal yourself from the inside. Nature has been busy providing the real solutions.
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