When you need pain relief, reach for the origin and you may not need a pill. A visiting friend recently asked me for some ibuprofen. I looked in the medicine closet and I didn’t even have acetaminophen. A lack of ibuprofen didn’t surprise me. Every time I take it, my cheeks immediately turn red and start itching so I don’t buy it, but even I was surprised that there was NO pain reliever on the shelf.
Of course, I’ve long recognized that taking a lengthy round of pregelatinized starch causes my stomach to hurt so I have a bit of aversion to pills that contain it. I guess at some point I forgot to restock.
That doesn’t mean I don’t have pain. I lift weights which means I often suffer muscle soreness. I grind my teeth which leads to jaw pain. I get occasional headaches. And, in spite of a gluten-free lifestyle and eating at regular intervals, I have significant stomach pain periodically.
I’m not a stoic or a masochist. I just prefer to determine the origin of my pain and follow its process before I reach for a pill bottle. For me, this works so much of the time that I rarely need further intervention. I like that because all pharmaceuticals come with risks and side effects. Why ingest them unless I have exhausted other options?
What process do I follow to eliminate pain?
1. Observation
Over time, I have observed the factors in my life that are frequent contributors to pain. For instance, my headaches are usually caused by dehydration, hunger, or lack of caffeine. Sometimes too many sweets in the evening make me feel hung over.
2. Process of Elimination
Using my long-term observations, I review and eliminate possible culprits until I find the most likely source of pain. If I’ve had plenty of coffee, I eliminate lack of caffeine. If I haven’t taken a long break, added reps, or increased weight to a lift, I eliminate my workout as the cause of knee pain.
3. Address the Remaining Possible Cause(s)
I start with the most likely culprit. If I address that and the pain begins to diminish, I’m done. If that doesn’t work, I move on to the next possible cause. If I carried heavy boxes up the stairs in heels, I do some knee stretches and wear comfortable flats or walking shoes to address my knee pain. If it’s severe, I may limit my time standing for a day or two.
For stomach pain, an easy to digest diet for a day or two can sometimes do the trick. Yogurt, frozen yogurt, bananas, honeydew, watermelon, pears, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and chicken are easy for me to tolerate. If that doesn’t work, I sometimes revert to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for awhile.
4. Get to Work
If I’m absorbed in a mind-engaging activity, my pain eases. A computer problem, a recipe test, or even yoga changes my focus and helps me experience pain differently.
5. Use a Natural Pain Reliever
In the event that stretching, hydrating, fashion, or diet changes don’t work, I try cherries or cherry juice. Studies have shown that tart cherries can effectively relieve pain and inflammation.
If none of these work and the pain is unbearable, I make a trip to the store and get acetaminophen. I just don’t make the trip until I’ve tried this process.
I realize the pain I have described here is not the pervasive, chronic pain some of you suffer. I am not saying no one should seek medical or pharmaceutical pain treatment, but I am an advocate of ascertaining the origin of pain and/or any underlying conditions prior to beginning a pain treatment plan.
I know what it feels like to ache so much you cannot sleep, hurt so much you can’t lift your arm, and to have to fight to pay attention to anything beyond your abdominal pain. I was lucky enough to discover that my chronic pain could be eliminated by removing gluten from my diet. Going from constant pain, weakness, and fatigue to the minor pain I now experience is the thing that keeps me from ever wanting to eat gluten again!
If you suffer from occasional pain, try this process. If you suffer from significant chronic pain, I wish you medical care that seeks to determine and treat the origin of your pain. I also wish you relief, comfort, and peace.