Overcoming Chronic Pain: An Integrative Medicine Approach

Discover how integrative medicine can help you live a pain-free and comfortable life.

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Chronic pain is a widespread phenomenon. It’s estimated that 50 million (20.5%) adults in the US suffer from debilitating pain. Several aspects contribute to the condition. These include lifestyle choices, stress, environmental factors, and many others.

With more people seeking gentle, yet effective techniques to manage pain, integrative medicine is becoming the go-to remedy. It’s revered because it has a mind-body approach to ease discomfort.

Practitioners explore how both internal and external factors contribute to your condition and recommend a combination of remedies geared toward easing your condition. In essence, they offer solutions to help your mind relax and restore balance in your body.

If you want to know how integrative medicine can help you live a comfortable and fulfilling life, carry on reading this post.

What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain can be described as pain that lasts for three months or more. It’s persistent and long-lasting, and patients are most likely to use more health care. Not only does this strain an individual’s pocket (increased medical expenses), but it can also affect their day-to-day functions.

The condition can result in:

• Restrictions on daily activities: Individuals can’t do activities they enjoy like cooking, gardening, or shopping. Some might find themselves missing more workdays.
• Strain on the mental well-being of a person: Pain occupies a person’s mind to the extent that it might lead to anxiety or depression.
• Increased dependence on opioids: To make the pain more bearable and get through the day, patients can find themselves taking more over-the-counter pills.

How Lifestyle Factors Influence Chronic Pain

While various medical conditions contribute to chronic pain, several lifestyle factors also play a significant role in its development and severity. Let’s explore how some habits contribute to discomfort.

Nutrient-deficient diet

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What you eat affects your body in many ways. Some foods heal, while some are detrimental to your health. Where pain is concerned, inflammation is often the culprit. A moderate amount of inflammation is unharmful; it’s your body’s natural response to irritants. The problem lies in chronic, long-term inflammation.

Processed foods, carbohydrates, and sugar-laden diets cause chronic inflammation, resulting in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Inactivity

You probably know exercise improves circulation and heart health. But its benefits are not limited to the well-being of the cardiovascular system. It also boosts the suppleness of your joints and strengthens your muscles.

Physical inactivity can result in poor musculoskeletal structure. This can lead to back pain and compromised mobility.

Poor sleep hygiene

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Not only does a lack of (quality) sleep cause mood swings, concentration, paranoia, and short-term memory, it can result in chronic pain. The Sleep Foundation recommends 7–9 hours of sleep for adults and more for children. Long-term exposure to insufficient sleep can heighten your pain sensitivity. Research found that reduced sleep and poor sleep quality increase sensitivity to pain.

Continuous sleep deprivation can alter the brain’s ability to inhibit pain, resulting in chronic pain.

Smoking

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Smokers are aware that smoking affects almost every part of their bodies. A lesser-known fact is how smoking can cause back pain. Smoking reduces oxygen and nutrient supply to the spine. Nicotine and chemicals in a cigarette constrict the arteries, reducing the number of nutrients supplied to the intervertebral discs.

Over time, nutrient-deficient discs degenerate and struggle to repair themselves. This degeneration manifests itself as lower back pain.

Benefits Of Integrative Medicine In Easing Pain

Integrative medicine is a holistic approach to easing and treating chronic conditions. Practitioners assess a patient’s ailment and lifestyle and provide a combination of natural remedies and (conventional) treatments to alleviate chronic disease.

In the case of chronic pain, it offers the following benefits.

Addresses the root cause of pain

Instead of prescribing conventional medicine to reduce pain, practitioners target and treat underlying issues like poor sleep, chronic inflammation, and work-life situations. Doing so ensures they can prevent pain from presenting itself in the future, allowing you to live a comfortable life.

Tailor-made pain management plans

Most practitioners understand there’s a myriad of factors that contribute to severe pain. They’ll take the time to understand your lifestyle, traumas, and imbalances and how they contribute to pain. This helps them recommend treatments suited to your needs.

A mind-body approach to restoring balance

Integrative medicine has a mind-body approach to alleviating pain. They suggest natural treatments like relaxation practices, healthy diet plans, and acupuncture to help bring balance to your body.

Techniques To Manage Chronic Pain

If you’ve been taking conventional medicine with no significant change in your condition, it’s time to explore how integrative medicine modalities can help ease the pain. These comprise mind-body practices to help your mind relax, resulting in a balanced body.

Here’s an overview of each of these.

Exercise

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As mentioned earlier in the post, a lack of exercise can weaken your muscles and joints. The reverse is also true. The more you exercise, the more supple your muscles and joints are. Taking the first step toward exercising helps you become more tolerant of movement. This could be a 10-minute brisk walk around the block or gentle stretches.

Over time, you’ll be able to take long walks and improve flexibility, helping you build a sustainable pain management plan.

NOTE: Before starting any exercise routine, it’s a good idea to see a physical therapist who can create a workout plan tailored to you.

Consume anti-inflammatory foods

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As the saying goes: you are what you eat.

And if you want to reduce inflammation, it’s best to consume more anti-inflammatory foods. Foods that lower inflammation and, conversely, chronic pain include:

• Lentils and beans.
• Nuts and seeds — sunflower, sesame, and chia seeds. Almonds, cashews, and walnuts.
• Fish — salmon, anchovies, and mackerel.
• Whole grains — rye bread, brown rice, quinoa, millet, and buckwheat.
• Fruit — citrus, apples, berries, and limes.
• Vegetables — okra, radishes, leafy greens, and cucumber.

After a couple of weeks, the inflammation should subside, and you’ll also experience a boost in your energy levels.

Massage therapy

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Massage therapy is similar to a session you’d book at a spa. Practitioners use a range of motions to manipulate soft tissues of your body to ease muscle stress and decrease pain. But practitioners don’t approach massage therapy the way they would a regular massage.

Depending on the severity of your pain, you’d have to visit the therapist regularly. Doing so gives your body consistent relief from the tension, helping relax both your mind and body.

Acupuncture

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An ancient Eastern tradition, acupuncture is a technique of stimulating specific points in the body by inserting fine needles through the skin.

When your body gets acupuncture, it releases endogenous chemicals. These chemicals act as “innate” opioids because they have natural pain-relieving properties. Similar to massage therapy, it’s more effective when performed regularly to experience long-term pain relief.

Physical therapy

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Physical therapy explores pain in relation to musculoskeletal problems. It focuses on correcting faulty movement and posture and strengthening weakened muscles. Also, practitioners educate you on techniques to self-manage your symptoms, like relaxation strategies.

Relaxation techniques

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From meditation and yoga to breathing exercises and visualization, relaxation techniques have earned their spot in the health and wellness space. They stimulate the body’s natural relaxation response. This helps to lower blood pressure and induce feelings of calm to reduce pain.

Conclusion

Integrative medicine is the best route to take if you’re looking for sustainable and comfortable ways to manage pain. It provides a holistic approach to help you live a pain-free life. Practitioners devise a plan that includes consuming nutrient-rich foods and calming your body through mind-body practices. They also encourage you to lead an active life so you can overcome pain.

The crux of the approach is to place your life (and health) in your hands. Practitioners prescribe practices suited to your lifestyle and educate you on self-management methods for your condition.

Remember, the recommended techniques require time, dedication, and patience on your part for them to be fruitful. If you’re feeling failed and frustrated by conventional medicine, exploring integrative medicine can be beneficial to you.