Finally a medical organization has come out to say that painkillers do more harm than good for chronic back pain, headaches and other non-cancer chronic pain. I knew this at least 10 years ago by working with patients! The statistics for drug related deaths are staggering. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) in 2012 53,175 people in the US died of unintentional drug overdose! More than half of these deaths were due to pain relievers such as Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycontin and anti-anxiety drugs such as Xanax, Valium and Ativan. Now the American Academy of Neurology has come out with a position statement that states: “Whereas there is evidence for significant short-term pain relief, there is no substantial evidence for maintenance of pain relief or improved function over long periods of time without incurring serious risk of overdose, dependence, or addiction”. The academy is urging doctors to look for ways other than drugs to help chronic pain patients. They are also urging insurers to pay for some alternative therapies so prescribing drugs is not the default treatment.
I was so THRILLED to read this! Pain must be addressed from many angles to get to the root cause and help people to manage it. Pills mask the symptoms but do nothing to help you make lasting changes. This is where holistic therapies come into play. The combination of therapies I use work together to help your mind, body and spirit come back into balance allowing your body to help heal itself. Aromatherapy can help ease joint stiffness and swelling allowing you to move with more ease. It can also help uplift your spirits and stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system which contributes to pain reduction. Healing touch can produce a profound sense of relaxation, help clear out old traumas that may be contributing to your pain and decrease or resolve your pain. Using guided imagery I help you to tap into the power of your mind to find ways to decrease pain or find out why the pain is there.
There are many holistic therapies that are safe and effective that can help relieve pain, you just need to find the one that works for you! Managing chronic pain is not a quick fix, like taking a pill. It takes your participation and making some simple life style changes for long lasting results to occur. If you’re experiencing pain I’d love to talk with you about your challenges and explore options for decreasing it. click here/ for a free consultation.