How You Can Manage Pain Healthily and Naturally

By Alexis Mills

If you are having continuous pain, it is important to take that seriously and not ignore what your body is trying to communicate with you. Listening to the signals that your body is sending you is essential to realizing what you specifically need to pay extra attention to, or that you are not supporting your body properly. Though it can be easy to just take an Advil when you have a headache, back pain, or any other sort of pain, it is not a good habit to start because you are only masking the pain rather than managing it in a healthy, natural way. However, there are ways to cope with your pain in a way that will help your body back to its healthy state.

• Get a massage - Massages are a relaxing treat for you and your body to relieve tension, especially in back and neck area.
• See a chiropractor - Adjustments made by chiropractors through gentle manipulation free up pressure placed on the nerves to ease pain. At The Joint Chiropractic, you can explore how the chiropractor's knowledge and spinal adjustments can ease your individual pain because all of the nerves are connected throughout the body.
• Stretch - Stretching your body daily will help your body warm up for the day and aid in flexibility and remove stiffness. If you adopt a stretching routine, you will help your body loosen muscles and aid in pain relief.
• Exercise - When we exercise, it increases natural endorphins, which are the chemicals in your brain that improve your mood and blocks pain signals. Getting our bodies moving, sweating, and lifting also strengthens our muscles to help our body against further and future pain. If you are unsure about an exercise routine right for you, ask your chiropractor at The Joint to assist you in finding out what will fit your ability and health best.
• Meditating or deep breathing exercises - The relaxation and tension relief you can receive from deep breathing and meditation aid in easing pain. Focusing on your breathing patterns, clearing the mind, and focusing on a mantra create the conditions for the body to relax. If you haven't meditated before, it helps to learn in a class; you'll learn how to ease the mind and to solely focus on your breathing.
• Healthy diet - Adopting a well-balanced diet helps give your body what it needs to function at its best, thereby helping with any aches or pains you are having. Eating a low-fat and low-sodium diet will be most beneficial to your body.

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Bothell, Wash.