Pain, which is a technically universal feeling, is felt due to several reasons. It can be caused by a tragic personal event that stirred the emotions (aptly called emotional pain). There is also pain that is ‘felt’ and suffered by the mind, which is called psychological pain.
No matter what type of pain it is, the human body reacts in ways that are often commensurate to the degree and type of pain that was felt or experienced. However, there are times when the reaction is way too much for the actual degree of pain experienced or felt by the individual, in which case the person is said to be ‘overreacting.’
Now, how about physical pain? The type of pain that practically all humans feel in response to different stimuli such as exposure to hot or cold surfaces, or blunt objects that pierce one’s skin. How does one relieve it without going under the knife or in plain terms, being operated on by physicians or surgeons?
Here are the top non-surgical pain relief methods that you should explore for anyone in your family experiencing physical pain:
Chiropractic care
Many of the body pains that people experience can be traced to problems in one’s spin, which can be quickly relieved by visiting a chiropractor for treatment. Many chiropractic care clinics offer affordable back and neck pain relief services that you can pay a visit to have your spine-related body pains taken care of.
Chiropractors usually make some fine adjustments to a person’s spine to help ease the pain experienced by the patient. This spinal manipulation technique is highly targeted and precise, which is why you need to have your chiropractic treatment handled by a licensed chiropractor.
Another approach that chiropractors use involves decompression with a motorized traction table that stretches the spine to achieve the right alignment. This method typically requires several sessions, during which herniated discs are restored to their original position to prevent further pain.
Do gentle stretching and muscle exercises
According to Kit Laughlin, Australian physiology expert and author of the book “Overcome Neck and Back Pain,” roughly half of the population has a leg that is longer than the other due to the dominant use of a certain foot over another. The same is true with the upper body, which can be asymmetrical because of a dominant hand.
Because of these dominant hand and foot use, certain parts of the body are more stressed and prone to experiencing pain over the non-dominant sections. Laughlin said that to counter the paint, people should do gentle stretches of the affected muscles (which are normally tight) and build up through simple exercises the muscles that are located on the weaker side.
Finally, he recommended only doing stretches if the body is warm, before having meals, and only two times per week, so the body can let itself heal naturally.
Physical and occupational therapy
These are two of the most widely accepted and preferred forms of pain relief techniques out there, and for some very good reasons.
Physical therapists help patients suffering from joint and muscle pains and mobility problems to maintain or improve their body strength and capacity to move around with ease. Meanwhile, occupational therapists teach patients how to do routine activities that do not worsen the pain that one already feels.
When handled by a professional, both physical therapy and occupational therapy can be extremely helpful in easing intense body pains, thus allowing the affected individual to function properly without having to deal with the pain.
Mind and body exercises
If you prefer an approach that would not only help lessen the pain that you’re dealing with but also help you relax and enjoy a Zen-like state, then you should explore mind-body exercises soon.
These non-invasive pain relief methods help alleviate chronic pain symptoms through mindfulness exercises, meditation, and breathing techniques. If done properly, they can be quite effective in greatly lessening the degree of pain that a person feels.
Cold pack and hot pack
Some muscle pains can be non-serious enough that a hot or cold pack can easily offer pain relief. There are plenty of products that you buy for such a purpose, and they are well within your financial reach.
The beauty of these products is that not only are they inexpensive, but they are also very portable and easy to use. You can have a cold pack that you simply put in the freezer and then take out for use when you need a soothing feeling over a stressed body part. You can also buy a hot pack that you can put in a tub of hot water and then use afterward to help loosen up tight muscles.
With these non-surgical and uncomplicated pain relief options, there’s no reason to undergo surgical procedures since you can have them instead for a few dollars.
