Do you suffer from chronic pain? As you know too well, the pain can affect your ability to work, socialize, and enjoy life. Chronic pain is a challenging issue to treat. However, scientists have found unusual treatments that can help reduce suffering.
If you’ve already tried traditional methods without success, then you may want to consider these unusual treatments:
1. Bee venom. Bee venom can be used in an acupuncture treatment to help reduce chronic pain.
· You may run from the bees in your garden, but their venom can actually help you. Bee venom acupuncture has to be done in a professional setting and not your yard.
· A study titled, “Bee venom acupuncture for the treatment of chronic low back pain: study protocol for a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled trial,” found that the venom can help patients. Researchers also found bee venom improves circulation and lessons inflammation.
· If you’re allergic to bee stings, then you can’t use this treatment.
2. Sugar therapy. Unfortunately, this treatment doesn’t involve eating cupcakes, cakes, candy, or other delicious treats.
· Sugar therapy, or prolotherapy, involves injecting sugar solutions into painful joints and tendons. Doctors usually use a dextrose solution. The goal is to make the joints and tendons fix themselves.
3. Guided imagery. You can use your brain to control chronic pain.
· Guided imagery involves working with a professional to help you focus on specific pictures. These images are combined with words, so you work on eliminating illness from your body.
· For example, you may visualize a scene that involves your cells reducing inflammation to make your pain go away.
4. Anticonvulsants. These drugs are usually reserved for patients who suffer from seizures. However, they can also help those who have chronic pain.
· It’s a medical mystery, but people are already using anticonvulsants to treat chronic pain. Scientists are still studying the treatment to determine why it helps with pain.
5. Pain pacemakers. You can get a device similar to a heart pacemaker for pain. The pain pacemaker is used to stimulate the spinal cord with electrical signals. This helps to reduce the discomfort. The pain pacemaker requires surgery to be installed.
6. Spinal medication pumps. Instead of sending electrical signals, these medication pumps send drugs to fight chronic pain.
· The medication is sent to the spinal cord after you push a button. You can control how much and how often the pumps work. The medications used for the pumps tend to be in high doses.
7. Antidepressants. These drugs are being used beyond treating depression. They can reduce chronic pain in some cases.
· Researchers believe the antidepressants affect brain chemicals that control the pain. They state that patients don’t need to have depression to see benefits because the drugs can help decrease pain signals.
8. Hypnosis. This treatment helps people who suffer from chronic pain by teaching them to manage the pain.
· The Arthritis Foundation recommends hypnosis as an alternative treatment plan because it doesn’t have side effects. Hypnosis can help you relax and manage the pain. You want to work with a qualified hypnotherapist for the best results.
9. Tart cherry juice. Drinking tart cherry juice may be one of the easiest alternative treatments for pain. Researchers found that it has anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce oxidative stress.
You can fight chronic pain with several alternative and unusual treatments. If you suffer from chronic pain, ask your doctor about these treatments. One of them may give you some much-needed relief!