Are you now taking pain pills or patches containing opiate medications to deal with chronic pain? Here is some important information for people who have pain that is likely to last months or years from a medical condition that is not life-threatening. If you have been taking opiates every day for a long time, yet…
DetailsYoga is a Sanskrit word meaning “union.” It can be thought of as a form of exercise developed over thousands of years in India. It promotes health and happiness by working on the mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is being used more and more as a treatment modality. Where the techniques and benefits of yoga…
DetailsReiki promotes good health through relaxation, stress relief, and chronic pain management. In reiki, “universal life-force energy” is transmitted through the hands of a therapist from the vast pool of energy that abounds in the universe. Also called “palm healing” and “energy medicine,” reiki is made up of two Japanese words; “rei,” meaning universal spirit…
DetailsReflexology promotes healing through stimulation of points in the hands and feet, which are divided into zones that correspond to parts of the body. This natural therapy is said to help identify blockages, reduce stress and tension, promote healing and relaxation, improve circulation, eliminate toxins, treat chronic pain and restore equilibrium. The treatment is not…
DetailsMagnets have been used for centuries to treat a variety of conditions including arthritis, painful swollen joints, chronic pain and blood diseases. Most modern medical practitioners are uncommitted on magnetic therapy. Even for practitioners who insist magnets relieve chronic pain, why they work is still a mystery. Some theorize that magnets may change how cells…
DetailsHypnotherapy uses concentration, relaxation, and focused attention to attain a heightened state of awareness called a trance or hypnotic state. The person in the trance becomes able to block out outside stimuli and concentrate on specific tasks or thoughts. It is used to help people perceive stimuli differently, such as by blocking the perception of…
DetailsMore and more people have found that using herbal painkillers has fewer side effects and long-term risks than traditional medicines. Research has shown that some herbal medicines not only help relieve chronic pain, but also can attack some of the underlying causes of the pain. One of the most common herbal medicines is white willow…
DetailsChiropractic therapy diagnoses and treats problems involving nerves, bones, muscles, and joints. Chiropractors believe that manipulation of muscles, the spine, and other joints helps the body heal itself and relieve chronic pain. Chiropractic medicine is the third largest health profession in the Western world. More than twenty million people are treated each year. Manipulation is…
DetailsChi Kung, also known as Qigong, is a Chinese practice that integrates physical postures, breathing exercises, and mental focus. The word “Chi” means life force or vital energy, and “Kung” means skill achieved through consistent practice. Practitioners of Chi Kung believe most physical problems, including chronic pain and diseases, are related to imbalances of vital…
DetailsOne specific meditative practice is called the body scan, which is adapted from an ancient Burmese practice. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., writes in Full Catastrophe Living that the body scan “is an effective technique for developing both concentration and flexibility of attention simultaneously. It involves lying on your back and moving your mind through the different…
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