How to Manage Pain Without Medication

Accidents and injuries always seem to happen when it’s least convenient: right before a trip or special event, or just as we’re getting into the routine of a new workout program. While we can’t choose when (or if) we’ll have an injury – and really, there’s no good time to be hurt – the options available to treat an injury and manage pain may be broader than you think.

While pain medication can be enormously useful in managing pain during surgical recovery or pain connected to serious injuries, for conditions that don’t require significant intervention – or for anyone who prefers not to use pain medication – alternative methods may provide welcome relief.

If you’re looking for ways to manage pain without medication, the first step is to understand what causes our pain.

Different Treatment for Different Types of Pain

There are two ways to classify pain: the first is by frequency and duration – for example chronic pain may be experienced every day for years, versus acute pain, which comes on suddenly and relents with treatment. The second is to classify pain based on its source – the type of injury or damage present (note that some injuries may fall into more than 1 category, such as a deep cut that causes nerve damage.)

1. Nociceptive pain: This describes pain resulting from tissue damage and/or inflammation. Symptoms are often sharp, shooting, prickly or “a pins and needles” sensation, or aching pain, depending on the cause of the injury. Conditions that might cause nociceptive pain may be acute, such as a cut or scrape, infection, break, sprain or strain, or chronic, such as osteoarthritis.
2. Neuropathic pain: This describes pain resulting from nerve damage due to injury or disease. Neuropathic pain symptoms include as burning, tingling, shooting, or the sensation of receiving an electric shock. Conditions that might cause neuropathic pain include chronic conditions like diabetic neuropathy, acute conditions such as shingles, or episodic conditions like sciatica (inflammation or irritation of the sciatic nerve.)
3. Nociplastic pain: This describes pain that is not directly connected to an injury or other disease of the body, but rather, is a result of how the nervous system processes pain. With nociplastic pain, no clear injury or damage to the body is present, and the type and severity of symptoms can vary widely. Examples of nociplastic pain include fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and tension headaches.

While there are a seemingly endless combination of scenarios and symptoms, from falls to burns, pain symptoms that last indefinitely and others that subside in a day, there is one thing they all have in common: all pain symptoms arise from inflammation and the body’s natural inflammatory response.

To Treat the Pain, Calm the Inflammation

While never a desirable outcome, inflammation is the body’s natural response to protect itself against harm; it’s what our body is meant to do when faced with an injury or illness. While it typically has a negative connotation, especially in wellness circles, inflammation is an essential part of the healing process – the release of white blood cells which trigger healing.

There are two types of inflammation: acute, which results from an injury or a minor illness like the flu, and chronic. You probably associate conditions like rheumatoid arthritis with chronic inflammation, but did you know that cardiovascular diseases, like high blood pressure and heart disease, and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease are also associated with chronic inflammation?

When it comes to managing pain without medication, we’re typically talking about addressing acute inflammation – particularly the kind associated with minor to moderate injuries, such as:

• Strains – an injury to muscles or tendons
• Sprains – an injury to the ligaments and capsule of a joint in the body
• Whiplash – a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck. Common causes of whiplash include auto accidents, and sports injuries – particularly from contact sports.
• Overuse injuries – sports-related microtraumas resulting from repetitively using the same parts of the body, often because of overtraining. This includes conditions like Tennis Elbow and Runner’s Knee.
• Muscle strains, spasms and spinal imbalances
• Disc injuries – including herniated, bulging, or ruptured discs in the back and/or neck

Simple Strategies for Medication-free Relief

While some injuries will require more significant medical intervention, including prescription medications like antibiotics, corticosteroids, and in serious instances, potentially opioids, there are a number of medication-free methods you can use to treat inflammation and relieve pain – some of them right at home.

Heat Therapy & Cold Therapy. As we shared in a recent post, two simple, affordable and medication-free ways to relieve pain and inflammation are with heat therapy, and cold therapy.

Heat. While heat therapy is typically applied to chronic or healing injuries where acute inflammation has been relieved, it can provide relief for tension headaches and sore muscles, making it a worthwhile note for this list.

Cold. From a fall on the playground to a pickleball game gone wrong, ice is usually the first remedy we turn to for minor bumps, bruises, cuts, and burns. Learn everything you need to know about how and when to use ice (and heat).

Arnica. Used medicinally for hundreds of years, Arnica (Arnica montana) is an herb typically applied to the skin via cream, ointment, liniment, salve, or tincture, arnica to soothe muscle aches, reduce inflammation, and heal wounds. It is commonly used for injuries, such as sprains and bruises. A 2021 research study on Arnica as an adjunct medication for pain management concluded that Arnica “presents comparable activity to standard medications, such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, for pain management under different medical conditions. It also shows fewer adverse effects along with lower costs. Arnica could be an adjunct approach for acute and chronic pain management.”

Acupuncture. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine practice that involves the insertion of thin, sterile needles into specific points on the body – energy pathways called meridians. Practitioners and proponents believe that a balanced flow of energy is necessary to maintain health and well-being. In cases of injury or illness, this energy is disrupted. Acupuncture helps to restore harmony and facilitate healing. Research has shown that acupuncture can have pain relieving benefits for a multitude of conditions, with potential to relieve the pain of sports injuries.

TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) In this procedure, electrodes that give off an electric signal are placed on the skin to stimulates nerve cells, creating a numbing “pins and needles” sensation that can be helpful in temporarily blocking pain messages to the brain and/or modifying a person’s perception of their pain symptoms. TENS therapy may be available in your doctor’s office, or your provider may give you a prescription for a TENS unit you can use at home.

Chiropractic care. Chiropractic care can treat the pain, inflammation, mobility impairments and joint restriction from of a wide range of injuries. It can also minimize the damage and recovery time from accident and injury trauma. A study published in Pain Magazine found that patients who saw chiropractors were over 60% less likely to fill an opioid prescription.

Other treatments, like physical therapy, can be very effective but will require a prescription and a visit to your doctor.

Our Top Tips for Treating Accident & Injury Pain

Act quickly. Research has shown that it is important to gain control of inflammation early in the healing process to prevent the inflammation from hampering the rehabilitation process. Rest and ice are most effective when applied immediately after injury.

Rest. Yes, we have already mentioned this one, but as busy, active people ourselves, we find it bears repeating. Take the necessary time to rest and allow your body to heal.

Get plenty of protein. Sound surprising? Research published by the National Library of Medicine recommends increasing your protein intake after an injury to reduce muscle loss and accelerate the healing process. A balanced distribution of protein at each meal is also recommended. While this recommendation is specific to muscle injuries, we are always in favor of replenishing the body with proper nutrition, especially after an injury when your body may need it most.

Try breath work. The body believes what the mind tells it, and the first step in healing is trusting in your body’s innate ability to heal. Utilizing breath work can help calm the nervous system and help you trust your own capacity for healing. Breath work, also known as meditation or purposeful relaxation, helps to calms the mind, decrease stress hormones, relax muscles, and reduce blood pressure. It can also increase your sense of peace and well-being.

Seek medical attention. If rest and ice aren’t sufficient, don’t hesitate to call your doctor. They may be able to offer additional therapies – like those outlined above – and in some cases, medication like a corticosteroid may be the best course of treatment.

Seek immediate care if:

• Your pain is severe or unrelenting. Pain is an anticipated part of being injured, but should you find that the severity of your injury does not decrease in response to treatment, or if it increases, you may require immediate care.
• You experience swelling or visual deformities.
• You have difficulty moving. If you find you’re unable to walk, run, lift objects, or perform everyday activities, your injury may be significant and require immediate attention.

At Chiro One, we don’t believe anyone should have to live with pain. If the pain of an accident or injury is disrupting your life, chiropractic care from Chiro One can help. Find a clinic near you or schedule an appointment today.