Natural Alternatives to Pain Medications

According to the National Safety Council, every day, 52 people die from opioid pain medications. Every year, 47,000 die from a drug overdose, mostly from prescription pain medications.

Opioids are being overprescribed. And it is not children reaching in medicine cabinets who have made drug poisoning the #1 cause of unintentional death in the United States. Adults have been prescribed opioids by doctors and subsequently become addicted or move from pills to heroin.

Perhaps even more alarming: 70% of people who have abused prescription painkillers reported getting them from friends or relatives. Most people don’t know that sharing opioids is a felony.

Back pain is a common ailment, but if you find yourself reaching for the painkillers with every flare up, here are some alternative ways to keep it at bay. Granted, painkillers help dull the pain but what can you do to beat it in the long term?

Work on your core muscles

Lynne Robinson, founder of Body Control Pilates and author of Pilates for Life explains: “Pilates exercises are perfect for ensuring they do their job properly. To locate your core muscles, sit tall, breathe in and as you breathe out gently engage your pelvic floor muscles and draw them up inside, you should feel your abdomen hollow.

“Hold this internal zip for a few seconds breathing wide as above. Now you’ve found them you can use them as, when and if you need to. Don’t be tempted to ‘hold’ them in all the time though, just engage them as required to help control your alignment and movements.”

Drink water. And lots of it

Because your joints and spinal discs are partly made up of water, chronic dehydration could start to cause pain and stiffness. “Aim to drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water or herbal teas throughout the day. This is another reason to avoid too much coffee and tea, which can contribute to dehydration,” explains nutritionist Cassandra Barns.

Up your magnesium intake

Magnesium has many important roles in your body, and one of them is to support healthy muscle function – weak, tight and tense muscles can contribute to back pain. ‘Make sure you’re getting enough magnesium by eating green vegetables, nuts and seeds, fish and whole grains. Taking extra magnesium in supplement form could also help,” says Cassandra.

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Medical Disclaimer:

The ideas, procedures and suggestions contained in this article are not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. All matters regarding your physical health require medical supervision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss, injury or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this article.