Natural pain management

If you’ve ever had the misfortune to go through a stage in your life where pain was your companion, we get it, and we’ve helped a good many people through difficult times using some pretty amazing natural pain management techniques. There are certainly times when pharmaceutical pain meds are the only things that are going to cut through, but for all the other times, here is an insight into some of the things a Naturopath at HEAL may recommend for you, for the likes of:

• period pain

• headaches

• nerve pain

• sore stomachs

• muscle pain

• joint pain

  We also invest in some good conversation with you about treating the cause of the pain, as this is the true pathway to resolution.

Here are just some of our go-to pain support nutrients:

• Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA): this fatty acid amide provides relief for neuropathic pain such as sciatica, neuropathies of the hands and feet, and neuralgia. It is neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, with frankly some pretty impressive research behind it also. Getting it in the right delivery method to the cells is the key to success, so ask us for our preferred supplier.

• Turmeric: The world has been talking about (and taking) Turmeric for pain for a very long time now, but did you know that the advances in our understanding of how it is taken up by your cells have been significant in the past few years? For example, a particular form of Turmeric (BCM-95) inhibits the production of prostaglandins to reduce the inflammatory cascade in the body.

• White willow bark: (yes, from a tree!). This clever substance inhibits prostaglandin synthesis, reducing the production of pain chemicals. (note: ginger also works via this pathway). Interestingly, this is where Aspirin was originally derived from.

• Quercetin: this bioflavonoid inhibits the activation of NF-kappaB, to naturally reduce pain. It also has a great effect as an anti-histamine.

• Boswellia: we love this herb! It works for pain by inhibiting 5-lipoxygenase pathways, and is particularly good for joint pain. In our experience in clinic, it works very quickly also.

• Magnesium: good for almost everything right? Well, in the case of pain, the form we recommend has been shown to reduce persistent muscular pain, cramps and spasms, e.g. in neck and shoulder pain, headaches, sciatica and fibromyalgia.

  We love to advise on the best pain modulator for your specific needs, and this can save you a lot of money by short-cutting the process of trying all manner of things to help when you are in a tough place.

  Whether your pain is acute or chronic, we’d love to help you bring it under control naturally.