According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 20.9% of U.S. adults regularly experience chronic pain (pain that lasts beyond three to six months), and as many as 17.1 million experience severe chronic pain due to an injury or conditions such as arthritis, back pain, diabetes, fibromyalgia, or irritable bowel syndrome.
Their recurring discomfort can be amplified by certain factors that include:
- Dealing with stressful situations
- Mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, or social isolation
- Overexertion or under exertion
- A decreased ability to do things they enjoy
The problem with many pain remedies, such as over-the-counter analgesics, is that they do little to relieve the persistent discomfort of such chronic conditions as arthritis, migraine headaches, diabetic neuropathy, or fibromyalgia, just to name a few. Despite these quick-fix solutions, it often feels as if the recurring pain has no end in sight.
However, while there is no cure, there are ways in coping with chronic pain effectively.
How to Manage Chronic Pain
Certain lifestyle changes can help reduce chronic pain. These include:
- Modifying your diet to include anti-inflammatory foods, vitamins, and supplements
- Performing regular light aerobic exercise
- Reducing or eliminating stress
- Improving your sleep hygiene
While these strategies can reduce your chronic pain and help minimize the effects of anxiety and depression, they may not be enough. In this case, you may consider prescription pain medications, such as oral opioids. While this option may help relieve pain temporarily, it will not work long-term and can lead to addiction.
A far better alternative is natural solutions designed to reduce pain and help you regain your functionality without needing medication or invasive surgery. These natural solutions include:
- PRP therapy– Injections of concentrated platelets derived from your own blood can speed healing, decrease painful inflammation, and promote healthy tissue growth, thus relieving chronic pain from an injury or degenerative disease.
- Acoustic sound wave therapy – This in-office application of low-frequency sound energy has been found to speed up the repair of damaged, painful tissues.
- Trigger point therapy – injections of anesthetic or saline into painful, knotted muscle groups, particularly in the back, provide improved circulation, reduced stress and tension, improved mobility and flexibility, and relief from chronic pain.
Pain Management at Niva Health
Chronic pain can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to live with it or deal with it alone. At NIVA Health, we provide customized pain management strategies aimed at reducing pain and helping people regain their functionality while avoiding surgery so they can live their best possible lives.
Our pain management experts specialize in helping relieve pain and addressing your toughest symptoms with natural remedies that help you avoid surgery, stay off medications, and improve your overall wellness and quality of life.
NIVA Health has offices conveniently located throughout Florida, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, and Georgia, where our friendly staff welcomes your call and looks forward to serving you. To learn more, contact us today at your local NIVA Health Office. You can also request an appointment now or sign up for a free, complimentary consultation.
