Monday Motivation - September 9th

Hey everyone,

I’ve been thinking about pain recently – possibly as I picked up on the news that US drug company Johnson & Johnson had to pay £468 million to settle in Oklahoma’s opioid addiction crisis. The US has four times the opioid use of the UK, but usage in the UK is still high.

So what is pain? What can we do apart from drugs to minimise pain and lead a healthier, drug-free lifestyle. (And if you aren’t sure what an opioid is and what the risks of taking them are, read this.)

Firstly, I’d encourage you all to watch this nine-minute TEDx talk delivered by British Chiropractor Julia Gover. Topics include what is pain, how does your body transmit the pain signal, what’s the difference between pain and damage, how do other things going on in our life influence our perception of pain and what can we do to minimise any pain?

Regarding back pain specifically, what do we know about how best to deal with it? Recent research suggests paracetamol is ineffective for acute low back pain; however, we know that a visit to the chiropractor combined with exercise is effective.

What about food? Try these suggestions for foods that can decrease pain and inflammation, and a list of which foods to avoid.How about meditation? The perception of pain is increased with high levels of anxiety and stress. Have a read of this Headspace blog written by a user who has pain associated with fibromyalgia, and how her pain was helped with mediation.

Discussions around pain can be emotive and each individual’s perception of pain is different. In most cases of simple uncomplicated pain or back pain, my advice is not to reach for a pill as the first port of call. Try some of the above recommendations first – or a cup of fresh mint tea, a relaxing walk, and some gentle stretching or yoga. If pain persists, consult your chiropractor!

Thanks for reading,

Craig McLean