The "root" of some pains may not be something very serious. Even minor weakness can cause pains. Pains may assume different forms; they may hit different locations and may represent a variety of underlying health problems. But surprisingly, you may cause them to disappear with some of your own "remedies". Taking Vitamin D supplements, performing meditations and deep breathing exercises or undergoing magnetic therapies may help a lot in relieving pain, but that's it - don't ever start thinking that you are a registered medical practitioner.
The 7 Surprising Pain Relief Remedies
- Take Vitamin D Supplements: Vitamin D deficiency can be a leading cause of chronic muscle pain. Fish and sunlight are the major sources of this vitamin. The average requirement is about 200 IU per day whereas individuals belonging to the age group of 50 to 70 years need 400 IU per day. Those over 70 need 500 IU Vitamin D on a daily basis. A University of Minnesota study found that 93% of all subjects, who were suffering from non-specific musculoskeletal pain, were actually hit by vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D supplementation can provide muscle pain relief. The study authors concluded that all individuals with constant, non-specific musculoskeletal pain need to undergo screening for vitamin D deficiency.
- Smell the Green Apple: A study conducted by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, made subjects to sniff test tubes containing a green apple smell. The subjects were experiencing migraine attacks at that time. Their condition was found to improve more than when they were made to sniff the smell-less test tubes. Researchers opine that it could be either a distraction or the smell of green apple in actuality that have countered the muscle contractions in the head and neck, which in turn, have brought the headache relief. In the early studies, it was found that the smell of green apples could fight anxiety.
- Practice Meditations: The effectiveness of meditation in bringing pain relief without any side effect has been conferred in recent studies. Experts in this field have opined that practicing meditation for a little more than an hour may help relieve the pain experiences. The research also suggested that meditation can also boost brain activity in areas like the anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula and the orbito-frontal cortex. These are the brain parts which allot shapes to the pain experiences received by the brain from the nerve signals generated at different sites of the body.
- Undergo Balneotherapy: Balneotherapy has been in practice since the ages. The term "balneo" is obtained from "balneum", a Latin word which stands for bath. A type of hydrotherapy, this line of treatment involves taking a bath in mineral water or warm water. Magnesium sulfate or Epsom Salt, making up the "mineral water", relaxes the muscles. A reduction in the muscle pain also helps in the elimination of harmful substances from the body. Both magnesium and sulfate are readily absorbed through the skin and studies have claimed that there can be an increase in the magnesium levels after taking a bath in water enriched with Epsom Salt. The bath boosts circulation and reduces inflammation.
- Opt for Magnetic Therapy: It is a risk-free method for using magnetic fields for therapeutic purposes. It stimulates the process of healing and affects the quality of sleep in a positive way. A University of Virginia research showed that a magnetic field of moderate strength can facilitate in the reduction of swelling to a significant extent if the therapy is applied immediately after an injury that is associated with inflammation. Swelling is basically brought about by the dilation of blood vessels and it's believed that the magnets work by restricting the flow of blood to the affected area.
- Get Treated With Chromotherapy: This procedure involves a "color treatment". It supplements other natural therapies in an effective way. The believers or supporters of chromotherapy opine that the origin of any disease or health condition can be mapped to the lack of a specific color in the human system. The application of colored light to the body can help fight this imbalance. Blue color produces a fresh, relaxing and a tranquilizing effect and can be used to ease pain.
- Practice Breathing Techniques: Relaxation, obtained through deep breathing practices may help alleviate headache, low-back pain, joint pain and pain due to cancer. The breathing techniques attempt to ease the mind in order to lessen body pain, taking into account the mind-body connection. These techniques assimilate elements like body awareness, breathing, movement and meditation in one single thread. And these practices are more convenient because you can perform them at home without having to spend a single penny. To perform this exercise, breathe in through your nose and count till 4. Try to fill air into your lungs from the bottom to the topmost part by pushing out your abdomen, followed by your lower ribs and ultimately your chest and observe your body getting filled up with air. Hold your breath for 3 seconds and then breathe out. Breathing can distract you away from pain experiences. Breathing techniques can greatly benefit women when they are giving birth.
Some pains will come and some will go. And there will be some more which will prefer to stay back. This means that you may need to go on taking medications to fight pains that are chronic in nature. And this is the area where natural techniques like deep breathing practices and meditations can be of great help. Inhaling fresh oxygen or going into a deep of concentration take nothing but some amount of your time and dedication. And the rest is up to them.
