4 tips for nondrug relief from chronic pain

July 19, 2015  17:02

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week issued a new warning regarding ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve), saying that they increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The new warnings say that people with high blood pressure or heart disease should consult a doctor before using the pain relievers. They also state that while risk increases the longer the drugs are taken, people can suffer a heart attack or stroke in the first few weeks of use. 

The labeling will also note that NSAIDs increase a person's likelihood of heart failure, and that in their first year after a heart attack, patients treated with such medications are more likely to die than heart attack victims who do not take them. 

Here are some tips for nondrug relief from chronic pain, according to Chauncey Crandall, M.D.:
• If you suffer from arthritis or other types of joint pain, lose weight. As the rate of obesity has gone up, so has that for arthritis. Losing weight takes stress off joints. 

• Try eliminating gluten from your diet, as gluten can result in inflammation, which translates to chronic pain.

• Products that contain milk protein also have been linked to inflammation-caused pain.

• Drink a small glass of cherry juice or eat a handful of cherries daily. Multiple studies have found that antioxidant-rich cherries can also help lower pain-causing inflammation.

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