According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 20% or roughly 50 million people in the United States live with chronic pain. The causes can range from injuries to migraine headaches or fibromyalgia to arthritis. It can be difficult to manage because it may have multiple causes and every person responds differently to pain or pain treatment. If you are living with a condition that hurts on a daily basis, you need relief. Luckily, there are many options today that not only don’t involve pain medication but they may be able to alleviate, prevent or lessen the symptoms in a more natural way. 

Botox

If you suffer from migraines, you have probably tried virtually everything to get relief. Many depend on pain management jacksonville fl for botox treatment. This isn’t your average cosmetic treatment. As a pain management procedure, a very small amount of botox is injected at several points around the head and scalp. It is believed that the neurotoxin blocks the chemical pain receptors in the brain, causing a reduction in severity or complete cessation of headaches.

Accupuncture

This ancient Chinese form of therapy has been used successfully for many years to treat arthritis, headaches, backaches and more. In an accupuncture treatment, a very thin needle is inserted into the skin and left for anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour. The stimulation from the needle is purported to stimulate the flow of chi, or energy, allowing the body to heal itself. Another explanation is that the nerve stimulation causes the body to release its own pain blockers: beta-endorphins.

Meditation

As anyone dealing with the debilitating effects of chronic pain knows, stress can trigger or exacerbate inflammation which contributes to pain. Mindfulness meditation focuses on reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. In at least one study, blood tests have shown a reduction in the presence of the stress hormone ACTH and in the body’s inflammatory responses after practicing mindfulness meditation.