Unique Ways to Relieve Pain Without Medication

Introduction

Pain medication is undoubtedly a practical option for many people to relieve pain and discomfort, especially related to muscles and tendons. However, not everyone feels comfortable taking pain medication, so they seek alternative options to achieve the same results. Everyone’s needs are different, but you might experience relief from pain by exploring some of the following options:

1. Shockwave Therapy

A shockwave machine for shockwave therapy might seem far more complicated than a bottle of pills prescribed by a doctor. Still, you might enjoy the same outcome: reduced pain. Many people use this form of advanced treatment to improve their pain levels.

Shockwave machines are designed to restore muscle tone, break up soft tissue calcifications, and stimulate your body’s healing processes. Athletes wanting to remain as comfortable as possible while they train might explore shockwave therapy as an option for staying active even when pain threatens to derail their efforts.

2. Physical Therapy

When you’re experiencing pain and discomfort due to an accident or injury, you might be prescribed pain medication to make you comfortable. However, pain medication isn’t getting to the cause of the problem. Physical therapy with trained therapists might put you on the path to recovery. With a therapist’s help, you can build up strength and mobility in the parts of your body that an accident might have impacted.

3. Exercise

When you’re in pain, exercise can be excruciating, but it can sometimes be what leads to comfort in the future. According to studies, daily exercise consisting of aerobic activity, stretching, and strength training might all be necessary for optimal health. It might also reduce the pain and mobility problems associated with particular conditions, such as fibromyalgia and arthritis. Many experts recommend gentle aerobic activities like cycling, swimming, and walking.

4. Music Therapy

It can be hard to believe that turning your stereo on and listening to music might relieve the pain and discomfort you’ve been feeling, but it might. Studies have shown that musical intervention after orthopedic surgery resulted in postoperative pain and anxiety improvements. Pain and anxiety improvements were also noted in cancer patients listening to instrumental classical music.

5. Cold and Heat Therapy

Cold and heat therapy are affordable pain management techniques you can perform in the comfort of your own home. Heat therapy can often improve circulation and blood flow, soothing muscles and healing tissue damage in the process. In contrast, cold therapy reduces blood flow to reduce inflammation and swelling. Talk to your local physiotherapist about the best cold or heat therapy for your needs. They might recommend dry heat, moist heat, ice packs, coolant sprays, and ice baths to suit a range of conditions and illnesses.

6. Mind-Body Techniques

While you might feel uncomfortable trying mind-body techniques like breathing exercises, mindfulness, and meditation, they might be worth exploring as an alternative to pain medication. Our fight-or-flight response can sometimes worsen chronic tension and pain. However, mind-body techniques that combat this response might result in more bodily control and reduced pain and anxiety.

The Takeaway

As easy as it can be to consume pain medication to feel okay, there’s no harm in exploring alternative options. Some of these therapy options above might alleviate your pain and discomfort while getting to the root of the pain in the process.

About Theresa Duncan

Originally from Detroit, MI, Theresa has been offering health and fitness advice for the last 30 years while working as an engineer. She decided to turn her passion into a profession, and finds nothing more satisfying than helping others reach their health and fitness goals.