There are many who are dissatisfied with conventional treatments for pain and are looking for more natural ways to find relief. Many use dietary supplements as part of the pain management strategies.
As part of our on-going series of blogs on pain management we would like to introduce to you a few natural remedies for pain. In a previous blog we explored food which helped pain (see https://patienttalk.org/?p=507). In this blog we are looking at naturally occurring substances which can be used to provide relief from pain. In this case they may be available either as food or as a dietary supplement. For most the key issue is that the treatments and products they use are not synthesised chemicals:-
a) Capsaicin. Comes from chilli peppers and can be used on the skin to treat pain. Including rheumatoid arthritis and diabetic neuropathy.
b) Vitamin D. We covered Vitamin D in an earlier blog this year (https://patienttalk.org/?p=300). It is available free from the sun as well in “paid for” supplements.
c) Omega-3s or fish oil. This old favourite seems always to come up when health is discussed. While an effective anti-inflammatory it now seems to help people with neuropathic and fibromyalgia pains. It can be taken in concentrated form as a supplement but I still prefer a smoked salmon bagel.
d) Glucosamine sulphate. This dietary supplement is often recommended for people with osteoarthritis.
e) Methylsulfonyl-methane. Also for osteoarthritis it helps reduce joint pain.
Please note that these products are dietary supplements rather than medications. Before using them at all we would recommend you speak with a qualified healthcare professional.
Of course these are only five among many. This is where you come in. It would be great if you could share your experiences of using dietary supplements to help manage pain. You might like to consider some of the following questions:-
1) What is the main medical condition which causes you pain?
2) How do you manage your pain? What role do dietary supplements play in your pain management?
3) How successful have they been?
4) Are there any dietary supplements you would recommend?
Feel free to use the comments box below to share your story and to add any links you think may be of interest.
Many thanks in advance.
AnnetteKing I have had MS since 1994 and just this april was diagnosed with fibromyalgia also. My neurologist said that it is common among people with MS. She prescribed Gabapentin for the fibro and I took 1800mg a day for months. Previous to this I had lost a great deal of weight and since being on Gabapentin I had put almost all of it back on! I stopped taking it about a week ago and am now taking MagSense (magnesium) and it is managing the pain and I have dropped a couple of pounds already.
Hi My name is Agnes.Im 28 years old woman. I had few relapse in last few months I have MS since 2011. I dont want to write all my symptoms its too long list 🙁 I just want to ask anyone if hear about CCSVI Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency? Its operation which help reduce all symptoms of MS and not only… I just want to know more about it if anyone have had that please share with me yours informations Thank you Agnes
It interests me that so many of my fellow MS sufferers have fibromyalgia, it begs the question of whether or not fibromyalgia is a part of the MS disease. It would be interesting to know how many with MS also have Fibromyalgia. I am afraid that the more my disease progresses and my physical functioning deteriorates the less faith I have in my Neurologist who is a Professor on the subject and a very lovely woman. I have learnt more about the disease and how to deal with my symptoms through my own research, listening or rather reading stories from fellow MS sufferers and using natural remedies. I am on Copaxone to cover all bases in the hope that it will do the task it is supposed to and retard progression & lesions. Prior to starting on Copaxone, 2 years ago I had two major exacerbations 4 months apart, I have not had a remission since then, am able to walk again and the pain is not as debilitating I give credit to using Vit. D, Krill oil (Omega 3) & B complex; regularly use neurofen for headaches. At least 2 days a week I have to use a walking stick to get about.
My medical condition that I have is MS, unfortunately. So dietary supplements to manage pain is out of the question for me unfortunately. I have constant headaches, a lot of the times they are ugly ones. Lately I have had a lot of joint pain, mainly in the shoulders, some in the knees. It has nothing to do with my weight like it used to. I used to weight 318 lbs but last time I was weighed I was at 156 and that was about a month ago. Right now I take hydrocodone once a day and that is all I can take for the pain. No migraine med works for me unfortunately as I have already tried it, and I have tried eating the extra strength Tylenol like they were candy and all it did was make me sick. 🙁
The only supplements I take are: Calcium, Vitamin D, and immodium. I have fibromyalgia, degenerative disk disease (have lost 3″ in height in the last 2.5 years), and Sjoghren’s Syndrome, among other things). My very best friend has fibromyalgia and restless legs syndrome. She takes a handful of supplements and only has 1 prescription for the restless legs. My husband and I were supposed to spend the month of October with her and her husband. Not happening for a variety of reasons. When I talked to her last month, she asked me to help her with the cooking. That floored me. Her 2 favorite things are cooking and reading. At At that point, I decided to implore her to