Pain Relief

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Pain Relief

Postby spudboy » Sat Jan 30, 2021 4:15 pm

Hello Everyone

Background Info: I've been following the McDougall diet strictly for over 4 years. Mid Dec 2020, I suffered an injury which was diagnosed as foraminal spinosum which has to do with the nerve/ spine issues affecting my left leg. The pain is brutal and I would not wish this on anyone.
Anyhow, the doctor has me taking hydomorphone and naproxen which allows some comfort for pain. I'm trying to wean myself off these due to the serious side effects these medications cause. (By the way, I hate taking any medications!!!)
My prognosis is long term and I need some pain relief for sleep because I'm not getting much. (I suffer during the day by only taking the meds at night)
So the million dollar question is: Anybody know of any "natural alternative pain relief substances" which they recommend with little to no side effects?
Thanks for taking the time to read and respond! God Bless.
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Re: Pain Relief

Postby debknott » Sun Jan 31, 2021 3:10 pm

I just had a hysterectomy due to uterine cancer on Thursday, and the docs told me that 2 tylenol plus 3 ibuprophen taken every six hours will give almost as much pain relief as the heavy duty prescription pain relievers. I know these two are not natural, but they are WAY safer the the prescription stuff.
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Re: Pain Relief

Postby spudboy » Sun Jan 31, 2021 6:22 pm

Thanks for taking the time to post Ms Deb.
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Re: Pain Relief

Postby Growing a Pear » Mon Feb 01, 2021 1:33 pm

spudboy wrote:Hello Everyone

Background Info: I've been following the McDougall diet strictly for over 4 years. Mid Dec 2020, I suffered an injury which was diagnosed as foraminal spinosum which has to do with the nerve/ spine issues affecting my left leg. The pain is brutal and I would not wish this on anyone.
Anyhow, the doctor has me taking hydomorphone and naproxen which allows some comfort for pain. I'm trying to wean myself off these due to the serious side effects these medications cause. (By the way, I hate taking any medications!!!)
My prognosis is long term and I need some pain relief for sleep because I'm not getting much. (I suffer during the day by only taking the meds at night)
So the million dollar question is: Anybody know of any "natural alternative pain relief substances" which they recommend with little to no side effects?
Thanks for taking the time to read and respond! God Bless.

Do you mean spinal stenosis? If so, is surgery not an option?

Were it me and the doctor said it was okay, I'd find an Egoscue practicing physiotherapist to see if that might help.

Be careful regarding the Tylenol/anti-inflammatory combos. In fact I'd strongly recommend checking with your pharmacist before you switch. Too much for too long and you can damage your liver and/or kidneys.

If the pain you have is at all lancinating, meaning sharp electrical zips or stabs, sometimes that responds to low doses of anti-epileptic meds like Tegretol. The advantage is that there's no risk of addition/habituation. You'll have to talk to your doctor re that possibility.

Finally, there are some chronic pain clinics which work on things like yoga and meditation, TENS, and nerve blocking. I'm thinking of ones like Jon Kabat-Zinn's, rather than the ones which hand out meds like candy. He wrote an excellent book which you might find helpful or inspiring called Full Catastrophe Living.

I'm sorry you're feeling so poorly! I hope you can find relief.
I just want to emphasize: It is the QUALITY of the food, not the QUANTITY. You are guaranteed success when following a starch-based and a simple diet. Monotony can be a key helper. ~Dr. John McDougall
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Re: Pain Relief

Postby viv » Thu Feb 11, 2021 10:12 pm

I am a big proponent of homeopathy, and have used it for many years. Homeopathy is considered complementary medicine which works with any other medications you are using and is completely harmless. You can buy it over the counter in many places and also online. I particularly like two brands, Boiron, a French brand, and Hylands made in California. There are a number of remedies for pain relief. Some people do not like homeopathy saying it is not effective etc, etc. well tell that to the millions of people who find relief from their symptoms. I hope you find relief from your pain soon.

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Current weight: 157
60lbs gone--for good!
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Re: Pain Relief

Postby Vanilla Orchid » Wed Feb 17, 2021 12:56 am

Yoga might be an option. Specifically, you might want to consult Dr. Loren Fishman in New York, who treats a variety of conditions with yoga. He does consults via Zoom, so you can see him wherever you are. His [url]website is www.sciatica.org[/url].

Another option is acupuncture. And nothing beats a really good physical therapist, if you can find one.
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Re: Pain Relief

Postby curcubit » Mon May 10, 2021 8:23 am

For what it is worth, I had great success with sciatica relief due to protruding disc in lumbar spine, simply by reading Healing Back Pain by John Sarno, MD. https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pai ... 0446557684
Almost 8 years ago I got caught in a vicious cycle of back pain which caused me to exercise less that only served to increase my back pain, and so on. I did not use any pain killers...but was trying acupuncture, gentle chiropractic. I realized I was becoming an invalid of sorts....turning down any interaction that required long trips (I could not sit that long), no longer working in the garden, or hiking, etc, etc. I actually stumbled onto this book just done an internet search. Just reading the reviews online gave me hope and I downloaded the kindle version and started reading the same day. Long story short, Dr. Sarno emphasizes the human body is a marvel of evolutionary design, but acute back pain need not become chronic, alot of it in our heads. You got to break the mind-body connection to your pain.

I realized this was true for me...I had started to think of myself as someone with chronic pain. I did do a few days of ibuprofen to break the cycle of inflammation, but I got off the couch that very day and started just walking. I stopped the acupuncture and chiro. I was 50% better in a week, and totally pain free by three weeks. I reread the guiding principles every day and basically just did as much gentle movement in the form of level walking as I could. I have not had any back pain since.

I am not really doing the book justice, their is alot more to it than what I describe. But 4.5 stars with almost 4,000 reviews for a inexpensive paperback shows it works for alot of people. I hope you find relief..back pain is no fun.

Curcubit
"One cannot pick a flower without troubling a star." Aldo Leopold
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Re: Pain Relief

Postby vegman » Wed May 19, 2021 8:36 am

Deep relaxation/meditation is a learned skill taught at some medical centers for pain relief and relief of other symptoms. This is usually covered by insurance.
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Re: Pain Relief

Postby ch47gunnergirl » Sun Jul 11, 2021 5:14 pm

You could research wild lettuce extract, or lactucarium, as an option. It has long been used to relieve pain, but I haven't tried it myself yet.
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