Do You Have Chronic Pain? Here’s How a Naturopathic Doctor Can Help
Those with chronic pain are all too familiar with its debilitating nature, often making it difficult to fathom leaving the bed or chair, let alone moving around and venturing outside the house. Unfortunately, this isolation can eat away at your happiness and well-being.
One of the greatest frustrations associated with chronic pain involves the continual evasion of pain management, with nothing seeming to offer relief. With the help of a naturopathic doctor, though, you can finally see the results you long for.
A naturopathic doctor isn’t interested in patching over your pain; they instead want to get to the root cause by looking at your body as a whole, which often produces better and longer-lasting pain relief.
Using a comprehensive care plan customized to you, Kiya Longevity can compile an attack plan that includes multiple methods of pain management. Let’s explore the different types of chronic pain and what techniques we’ve found to be successful.
What Causes Chronic Pain?
Any pain that lasts for over three months is considered chronic pain. The pain may be consistent, or it may come and go. It can also affect any part of your body, such as your back, neck, head, scar tissue, muscle, or nerves. The pain may be shooting, aching, burning, or stinging and may be accompanied by stiffness.
Chronic pain is different for every person, and the cause of the pain can affect where the pain appears, how it feels, and how long it lasts for.
Some causes of chronic pain include:
Fibromyalgia
Diabetes
Osteoarthritis
Inflammatory bowel disease
Rheumatoid arthritis
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Multiple sclerosis
How Can a Naturopathic Doctor Help?
Chronic pain is debilitating, making it hard to complete daily activities, work, take care of yourself, and have a social life. Over time, this can lead to depression and anxiety, further depleting your quality of life.
Living with chronic pain is more than just dealing with discomfort. It’s a battle that impacts every facet of life, from daily chores to your mental well-being. But what if there’s a different path?
Discover Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Medicine: A holistic approach focusing on the root cause of your pain, not just the symptoms. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) go beyond temporary fixes, offering long-term solutions through natural therapies.
Why Choose an ND? Naturopathic physicians are trained at an accredited naturopathic medical school, combining conventional medical knowledge with natural healing traditions. They’re licensed practitioners committed to improving your health holistically.
What NDs Offer:
Herbal Medicine & Traditional Chinese Medicine: Ancient wisdom meets modern science.
Physical Medicine & Lifestyle Counseling: Tailored strategies for pain management and healthier living.
Customized Care: Every treatment plan is as unique as you are, designed for optimal health.
Your Role in Your Journey: NDs don’t just treat; they partner with you. They become your primary care doctor and guide in navigating your health landscape, ensuring you’re equipped to take control of your well-being.
Integrating Natural Remedies into Daily Life
NDs excel in seamlessly blending natural remedies and therapies into your everyday, promoting a lifestyle that supports pain management and overall health. This isn’t just about taking supplements; it’s about creating a sustainable, healthy lifestyle.
Why This Matters
Choosing a naturopathic doctor could be the transformative step you need to not just manage pain, but to thrive. With a solid foundation in both medical and natural healing philosophies, licensed naturopathic doctors offer a promising path forward for those suffering from chronic pain.
Holistic Pain Management Techniques for Chronic Pain
Your naturopathic doctor can help you create a customized pain management plan based on your pain and its cause.
We commonly include the following techniques in our pain management individualized treatment plans
because they reduce inflammation in the body, the most likely culprit of chronic pain, and can help reduce stiffness.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet
The foods you consume, as direct suppliers of nutrients to your body, hold tremendous power over the inner workings of your body. Yet while food supplies essential nutrients, some foods can also cause inflammation, exacerbating your symptoms and causing pain.
Many people with chronic pain find that diet adjustments can offer some relief, specifically focusing on an anti-inflammatory diet. In general, avoiding any anti-inflammatory foods can help, with examples being:
Added sugar
Alcohol
Processed meats
Saturated fats
However, some foods can also trigger pain for those with a specific condition. For example, those with severe arthritis often benefit from cutting out gluten and dairy, but this elimination does not necessarily benefit everyone with chronic pain. Because of this, it’s best to work with a naturopathic medical doctor to determine which foods should be cut out based on your own health conditions. Your holistic health practitioner can also help you make substitutions so that you still get the necessary nutrients.
Furthermore, when trying to cut out foods to ease your pain, keep a journal of what you eat, when your pain arises, how long it lasts, and its severity. This can help you pinpoint which foods set off your pain.
Yoga
As a low-impact form of exercise, yoga can help with chronic pain by reducing pain intensity and stress. Additionally, yoga increases flexibility, strength, and mobility, which can further address the causes of chronic pain and reduce the pain they cause.
A review of 20 studies found that yoga reduces depression and anxiety while also improving back pain. A meta-analysis of over 1,500 people with rheumatoid arthritis and knee osteoarthritis observed that yoga reduced the symptoms of knee arthritis, and a 2019 study found that just 8 weeks of yoga led to a reduction in rheumatoid arthritis inflammatory markers.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture involves the insertion of thin needles into the skin at different points to release tension, often leading to a reduction in pain.
This benefit of acupuncture is especially helpful for those with chronic pain, with a 2017 study finding that acupuncture can help with osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal, and headaches pains.
Supplements
Some supplements can help improve pain intensity and physical function, with a 2020 review observing these effects in those with knee or hip osteoarthritis. Pharmaceutical-grade supplements (nutraceuticals), in particular, may offer an alternative to prescription pain relievers, and are often preferred since anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can cause GI problems when taken regularly.
Some common plant compounds available as supplements that may help with chronic pain include:
Curcumin: this component of turmeric has rich anti-inflammatory effects and may help reduce arthritic pain.
Quercetin: this antioxidant has helped those with rheumatoid arthritis experience less pain and stiffness in the morning and following physical activity.
While many supplements can be purchased over-the-counter, they should still be used cautiously and with the help of a healthcare professional to ensure they do not negatively interact with any other medications you take.
Let a Naturopathic Doctor Help with Your Chronic Pain
You don’t have to live your life with chronic pain. Schedule a naturopathic consultation with Kiya Longevity, and let our medical doctors work with you to determine the cause of your pain.
We don’t just diagnose you with a condition—we delve deeper to figure out why the condition developed in the first place. When we figure that out, we can better understand what habits and naturopathic treatments you need to manage or even reverse the condition, lessening your pain.
Millions of people suffer from chronic pain each year, but with the help of a naturopathic practitioner, you no longer have to be a part of that statistic. Let’s get started today so that you can feel better tomorrow.