Woman's World Special: Pain Cures - September 2022

100 Pages·2022·83 MB·English

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PAIN CURES
91
BACK PAIN 62 BUILDING MUSCLE
PAIN BASICS
Natural relief for sarcopenia
2 PAIN 101 36 RELIEF FOR BACK PAIN
Everything you need to Quick tips to ease the ache 64 SEA MOSS
know to start healing Powerful cure for chronic pain
38 STRETCHING
Lower back pain—gone! 66 YOGA
HEAD &
Fibromyalgia pain—banished!
NECK PAIN 41 A SIMPLE PAUSE
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uel 24 BERRIES better than meds! SMOOTHIES
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An arthritis superfood Painkilling blended drinks
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k; A Exercising in water eases Quick tips to ease the ache MEALS
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sto knee pain Hearty, healthy dinners
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PAIN CURES | 1
PAIN BASICS
UUNNDDEERRSSTTAANNDD ING PAIN
2 | PAIN CURES
UNDERSTAND IINNGG PPAAIINN Women over 50 are more
likely to suffer than men.
Read on to learn why—and
what you can do about it!
Between struggling up the “Women over 50 tend to expe- hormones estrogen and progester-
steps with handfuls of rience more aches and soreness one seem to increase pain, while
groceries, sitting in front than men because when our ova- men produce more testosterone,
of a computer or phone with less- ries go ‘offline,’ the dip which studies suggest pro-
than-perfect posture and tidying in estrogen triggers tects against pain.
up the house (again!), you’re likely painful inflamma- 44% of women
feeling achier than ever these days. tion, especially in PAIN TAKES
suffer from pain
You’re not alone: Some 50 mil- spots where daily A TOLL
for 5 years or
lion Americans—more than one wear and tear Far more than
more before being
in five of us—report being in pain on the body is just a physical
most days or every day, accord- greatest—in the correctly diagnosed sensation, pain
ing to a new study from Harvard joints and mus- can impact nearly
—HealthCentral
University researchers published in cles of our neck, every aspect of our
Women and Pain
the journal PAIN. And not only are back and knees,” lives. From mental
Survey 2022
women more likely to suffer than reveals Susan Blum, health to energy levels
men (especially as we get older) but M.D., a functional to our ability to sleep at
studies show that we also perceive medicine expert and founder night, pain makes it difficult for
pain more intensely than men. Not of the Blum Center for Health us to enjoy life to the fullest.
surprisingly, as with so many con- in Rye Brook, New York. What’s “Pain can affect one’s ability
ditions, hormones play a big role. more, fluctuations in the female to work or even complete daily
THE TOP 6 PAINKILLING PLANT FOODS
These foods aren’t just delicious, they’re chock-full of nutrients proven to zap aches and pains
OLIVE OIL:Extra- WALNUTS: HOT PEPPERS:
virgin olive oil boasts Snacking on Capsaicin, the
oleocanthal, which 1⁄ cup of walnuts compound that
3
shuts down inflam- a day can ease gives chili peppers their heat,
matory enzymes the even chronic pain by up to 29%, say kick-starts the production of
same way ibuprofen Canadian researchers. Credit goes powerful painkilling compounds
does, decreasing to two rare compounds that reduce called endorphins—an effect
joint pain and inflammation by the body’s production of pain- that can ease pain in as little as
25% or more. The study-proven triggering prostaglandin hormones. 10 minutes.
dose: 3 Tbs. a day.
CUCUMBER: GINGER:A daily
BERRIES: These crunchy dose of ginger
) The anthocya- gems are packed with (about 1 teaspoon)
3
B (
B nins that give a compound (salicylic cuts pain in half
H
); these tiny trea- acid) that calms overactive pain for 75% of women, say Danish
2
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c sures their vibrant nerves, raising your pain threshold researchers. Credit goes to
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e color also activate enzymes that by up to 25%, report British investi- the healing compounds called
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Ad speed muscle repair, cutting gators. To get the perks, aim to eat gingerols that shut down the
);
y (2 healing time in half if you eat 1 cup a day—in salads, sandwiches production of pain-causing
ett 3 cups a week. or dipped in hummus. chemical messengers.
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PAIN CURES | 3
PAIN BASICS
tasks,” notes Anna Shannahan, get the answers or the relief they’re “Integrative medicine can provide
M.D., a family medicine specialist looking for. Indeed, in a survey options someone may not have
at Northwestern Medicine Osher conducted by HealthCentral.com, thought of before.”
Center for Integrative Medicine in 75% of women said doctors didn’t Also smart: Don’t be vague,
Chicago. “And people can lapse into believe them when they described advises patient advocate Pamela
unhealthy habits as they don’t have their pain. What’s more, nearly half Gallin, M.D., a clinical professor
the energy to cook healthy meals or of respondents coped with pain for of ophthalmology at New York
exercise because of their pain.” five years or more before getting a Presbyterian-Columbia. Instead
“Think of your brain like a correct diagnosis. of saying to your doctor, “It might
computer processor that always has Many of the women we spoke seem small, but…” flip that and
a program running in the back- to in compiling this publication say, “I want you to know that
ground and slowing it down,” says reported similar experiences or said X is bothering me and it’s not a
internal medicine specialist Rebecca their doctors told them their pain small thing.” That will get your
Andrews, M.D., clinical lead of the was normal or something they just doctor’s attention.
Connecticut Comprehensive Pain had to live with. Fortunately, that’s
Center. “If you have pain every day, simply not true. Dr. Andrews adds THE PROBLEM WITH
your brain is always thinking about that it’s especially important for PAINKILLERS
something else. That can really women who are caretakers to seek When the pain gets bad enough to
affect quality of life.” help with pain, noting, “You can’t see a doctor, it’s likely he or she will
take care of others until you take recommend pain medication. But
REACHING OUT care of yourself.” many formerly trusted pain treat-
FOR RELIEF So how do you get your doctor to ments have been shown to cause
It’s common for women to try to listen and offer appropriate options? serious side effects, such as addic-
tough it out—after all, many busy Dr. Shannahan recommends reach- tion and organ damage. Indeed, the
women can’t spare the time to visit ing out to a healthcare provider who misuse of prescription opioids has
the doctor, where they often don’t is open to all types of treatment. become so widespread that the U.S.
Department of Health and Human
Services declared a public health
HOW PEOPLE EASE PAIN
emergency in 2017.
Over-the-counter pain reliev-
When pain strikes, we want relief—fast! Here, the top ers present risks too—even
remedies people turn to when they’re aching, according when they’re used short-term.
to a survey conducted by Club Pilates Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can
cause liver damage, while nonste-
76%
roidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibupro-
OTC
fen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve)
61% medications
can raise the risk of heart attack
59%
and stroke, damage the kidneys
51% Topical and cause bleeding in the diges-
Stretches
pain tive tract. Studies show that up to
creams
70% of people who take ibuprofen,
Improving
core naproxen or diclofenac (a prescrip-
strength tion anti-inflammatory) for just
two to 12 weeks have signs of
gut damage.
Even for women who are willing
to risk the side effects, pain reliev-
9% ers don’t always work. According
to research presented at the annual
meeting of the American Society
Light
)
of Anesthesiologists, 87% of those 2
exercise y (
who take opioids for back pain get ett
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4 | PAIN CURES
THE SURPRISING POWER OF THE NEW CBD CREAMS
“CBD cream can ease migraines, CBD extracts that include small contain 99.9% CBD or using a
joint and muscle pain in a very amounts of THC are better at reliev- ‘broad spectrum’ formula that
safe way,” assures chronic pain ing pain, anxiety and other health includes other beneficial hemp
specialist Gaetan Brouillard, concerns than CBD alone. CBD compounds. Also key: Pick a
M.D. CBD, or cannabidiol (a expert Mary Clifton, M.D., likens a product that has undergone
chemical derived from the full-spectrum CBD extract to eating third-party testing by viewing its
Cannabis sativa, or hemp plant), whole foods, explaining that the Certificate of Analysis (COA).
is absorbed through the skin and nutritional benefits are better when “Some products have a QR code
acts on the body’s natural we ingest all of the plant’s com- on the label that you can scan
endocannabinoid system to pounds compared to taking a with your smartphone to access
blunt the transmission of pain- single vitamin. a COA, but if you don’t see one,
producing messages, Dr. If you’re interested in trying CBD call the company and ask,” Dr.
Brouillard explains. for pain relief, you should check Smith advises. “If you can’t get
While it’s understandable that with your doctor first. Harvard- the information readily, I’d avoid
many women want to avoid CBD trained physician Ian Smith, M.D., that product.”
products that contain THC, the says CBD creams are typically well- To get the pain-relieving bene-
compound that triggers a “high” tolerated, but he adds that it’s cru- fits, Dr. Brouillard advises rub-
when taken in large dosages, cial to choose a quality product. He bing CBD cream on sore areas
new research finds hemp-made advises opting for creams that one to three times daily.
no relief. Adds Dr. Shannahan, recommending drug-free thera- likely to prefer natural remedies
“There’s definitely some research pies like massage and stretching over prescription ones.
showing that women and men for lower-back pain instead of
respond to pain medication differ- medication, because these natural SAY GOODBYE TO PAIN
ently, and in some cases, it is less treatments have been scientifically No matter what part of your body is
effective for women.” proven to work just as well (if not aching, you can soon be pain-free,
better). Patients lean toward natu- just like the women in the pages
GOOD NEWS ABOUT ral remedies too, according to a that follow, who overcame
NATURAL REMEDIES study conducted at the University migraines, arthritis, fibromyalgia
Given the risks associated with of Washington, which found that and more! Turn the page to begin
conventional pain medications, it’s headache sufferers are 371% more your pain-free future!
no wonder many of us are turn-
ing to natural remedies—with
The natural pain cure that
great results. People who use
complementary and alternative
works as effectively as meds!
medicine to relieve their pain have
been shown to have a significantly
higher quality of life than those Curcumin, the spice that gives high-dose ibuprofen
who rely on traditional treatments. turmeric its vivid color, can and the prescrip-
And numerous studies have thwart joint pain as effectively as tion NSAID
found that herbs, supplements and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory celecoxib.
other natural remedies work as well drugs (NSAIDs), according to The study
or better than conventional medi- researchers reporting in the jour- authors
cations to safely relieve pain. They nal Drug Design, Development credit cur-
work so well, in fact, that some and Therapy. They examined 15 cumin’s anti-inflammatory action
experts recommend them as a first studies in which arthritis patients for its ability to ease pain and
line of defense. taking curcumin supplements enhance mobility. A brand to
Dr. Shannahan points to showed improvements in pain and try: Terry Naturally CuraMed
groundbreaking guidelines by the stiffness that were on par with (Vitacost.com).
American College of Physicians
PAIN CURES | 5

HEAD &
NECK PAIN
Whether the pain is caused by an injury, stress, screen
time or something else, when your head or neck hurts,
it’s hard to focus on anything but the pain. And while
you could take an over-the-counter painkiller to ease
the ache, those medicines come with a host of side
effects. A better bet? The natural remedies on the
pages that follow—the women we spoke to swear by
them. Try them today and you too can be pain-free!
y
ett
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RREELLIIEEFF for head
& neck pain
Science-proven drug-free ways to ease the ache—fast!
MIGRAINE?
REACH FOR
LAVENDER
It may seem too simple to
have such a strong impact on
migraine pain, but a study in
European Neurology finds that
inhaling lavender oil delivers
partial or complete relief in 71%
of migraine episodes in 2 hours.
The credit goes to the aromatic
compound linalool. “When
inhaled, it enters the blood-
stream through mucous mem-
branes in the nose and blocks
pain-transmitting receptors on
nerves,” says Bindiya Gandhi,
M.D., a functional and integra-
CHRONIC NECK PAIN? USE A BAND
tive family physician in Decatur,
Georgia. She tells her migraine When your neck is sore, exercise study author Lars L. Andersen,
patients to pair the oil with may be the furthest thing from Ph.D. “Even doing a few exercises
the 4-7-8 breathing technique, your mind. But in a Danish twice a week can help.” A move
which lowers levels of hormones study, people who did resistance to try: a lateral raise. Stand on
that trigger pain. To do: Inhale exercises with an elastic band for the center of a band and slowly
the aroma through one nostril 2 minutes a day five days a week lift your arms out to
for 4 seconds, wait 7 seconds, reported significant pain relief. the sides, pulling the
then exhale for 8 seconds; repeat Working these muscles increases band until your arms
on other nostril. Repeat twice blood flow and oxygen to the area, are parallel to floor.
without the oil. helping reduce discomfort, says Repeat 15 times.
8 | PAIN CURES