Dr Julie Moltke shares a few ways to relieve your body:
Practice mindfulness: We often hold pain or tension in the body which can become chronic and have huge consequences on our life and happiness. One of the best ways to deal with chronic pain is with mindfulness. Signing up for a mindfulness-based stress-reduction course (MBSR) has helped thousands of people live a better life with chronic pain. The research is overwhelming.
Mindfulness can help you change your perception and outlook while making you more conscious of your own needs. For people with chronic pain it is even more important to listen to the body as tiredness and fatigue often increases pain perception.
Anti-inflammatory foods can aid relief: An anti-inflammatory diet can often help decrease tension and chronic pain as these conditions have a strong element of inflammation. Stick to a diet high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods that can help reduce inflammation and pain.
Some anti-inflammatory foods include ginger, garlic and tumeric. Vegetables, fruit and berries, fatty fish like saumon, walnuts and seeds, whole grains, bone broth, avocado, green tea, dark chocolate and many more. If you are having problems with chronic pain and inflammation it can be a good idea to try to stick to a vegan diet for a month and see how that affects your pain levels.
Move your Body: Exercise releases endorphins, the body's innate pain-relieving and wellbeing hormones. Some forms of exercise are better than others for tension. This includes slow yoga, yogging, walking or stretching. Vigorous exercise can have the opposite effect and make you feel more stressed and tense as it creates more inflammation in the body because of micro-tears in the muscle tissues.
Alternative treatments: Many people find relief from tension and pain through massage, acupuncture, osteopathy, biofeedback or therapy. Experiment and find what is most beneficial for you.
The importance of healthy sleep: There are many things that can affect the level of chronic pain and tension. One of the most important is sleep. Most people need between 7-9 hours of sleep and if you are getting less than that there is a big chance that it may increase your perception of pain and discomfort.
If you have problems sleeping due to chronic pain you can try to use a combination of relaxation techniques, traditional pain management and natural supplements. Focusing on getting a good regular sleep pattern can improve both pain and quality of life.
Taking Supplements for Pain Relief
Essential oils like lavender, rosemary, and peppermint are traditionally known to be able to soothe pain. These can be found together with magnesium and CBD in bath salts, sprays and balms to help relieve tension.
Supplements with anti-inflammatory properties can also help you reduce tension and pain including turmeric, ginger, green tea extract, cloves and mushrooms blends. A bath with epsom salt can do wonders to tired and tense muscles.
What Relief Supplements are there?
How long before I feel an effect from Relief Remedies?
There are two ways of taking relief remedies: orally and topically. If you take an oral supplement, you will start feeling a sensation of relief after a half hour. But if you apply a cream or a spray, the effects will be much quicker, as you are targeting the area directly when you apply the product. Plus the cream or spray you’re applying goes into your bloodstream.