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Killing pain with willow bark
5 August 2005
I am not normally a man to complain...
But... OW!
This trapped sciatic nerve in my lower back is causing the most intense pain I've ever experienced.
Even more than the time at school when Edmund Sampson whacked a cricket ball into a place where no cricket ball should ever go.
Until now that was my number one...
But no longer.
It's been four weeks now since I trapped it while wallpapering my friend's house and it still hurts.
When I say 'hurt' I mean - specifically - that it sends flashes of agony shooting through my back and down my leg in a stream of fire.
If you've ever experienced it, you know what I'm talking about.
On the plus side, (if there can be one to a trapped sciatic
nerve) it's encouraged me to find as many natural ways to kill pain as possible.
I've already told you about nettle tea, ice rubbing, massage and St John's Wort oil... but there's much more you can do to ease inflammation...
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Why bed rest is not the key
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First off, don't necessarily follow the traditional 'bed rest' advice. Research suggests that staying active may be more beneficial for back pain sufferers.
Now, I'm not suggesting a game of volleyball...
But short walks could do you some good. For instance, I find it more comfortable to walk 3 miles into town for a pint than sitting down all day.
(That's what I told my wife, anyway.)
A Dutch study in the New England Journal of Medicine instructed one group of sciatica patients to follow a bed rest regimen... and another to stay active.
There was no difference in the improvement of the bed resters to the nonbed resters.
So you're better keeping active.
Weeks of bed rest will probably waste your muscles... and increase your waist size.
Besides, you have a life to get on with.
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Release your body's natural painkillers
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The next thing you want to do is avoid painkilling drugs, if possible.
NSAIDs are okay for reliving pain, short term, but they can have side effects - stomach problems, for example.
COX2 inhibitors, the drugs that are tailored to avoid these problems, are really expensive.
So look for an alternative.
David Perlmutter, M.D, a neurologist in Florida, says that the key to drug-free pain relief is to use your body's natural inflammationfighting mechanisms.
Yes, we all have them. It's just that most people don't know how to switch them on.
I'll explain it quickly for you...
Our bodies contain molecules called 'prostaglandins', which come in two distinct types: evil prostaglandins that trigger the inflammation... and good ones that reduce inflammation.
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So the trick is to take the four natural supplements that switch off evil prostaglandins and turn on the good ones.
And here they are:
- Turmeric. This spice contains curcumin, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory. The best way to take it for something like sciatica is through a supplement, rather than by scoffing a curry.(Don't take it if you gave an ulcer or gallstones.)
- Bromelain. This is an enzyme found in pineapples. In a study of injured boxers, the ones taking bromelain healed faster. Ask at your health store for supplements. (Don't take them if you're allergic to pineapple.)
- Quercitin is an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory.
Scientists are not exactly sure how it works (and we can put a man on the moon!) but some suspect it's by blocking the unstable free radicals that damage your cells.
- Omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids cannot be made by your body, but it needs them to deal with inflammation. Try a tablespoon of flaxseed oil or three capsules of evening primrose oil every day.
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Better than aspirin? The secret of willow bark extract
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When I last wrote to you about my back pain, I hadn't yet read reports about willow bark extract.
Willow bark extract comes from the white willow tree, which grows in parts of Europe, North America, and Asia, and has been used by Western herbalists since the 18th Century.
But sometimes it's nature's old classics that work the best.
Willow bark extract contains salicin acid, which was isolated by German and French scientists in 1828. It led to the development of a painkiller you've no doubt heard of...
Yes - our good friend aspirin.
Experts claim that white willow bark's effects last longer than aspirin's, but without the serious risks, such as bleeding in the stomach.
A German study has tested willow bark extract against Vioxx, the controversial painkilling brand. It found that both were equally effective.
But here's the key...
The side effects from Vioxx were 'more severe', while Only 4 out of 114 people had allergic reactions to the willow bark.
As you probably know as an avid Good Life reader, Vioxx currently stands accused of increasing the risk of heart attacks in some people.
So I strongly suggest you try willow bark extract as a pain relief alternative.
But make sure you look out for any side-effects, just to be on the safe side.
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Now for my healing to continue...
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Right, I'm going to attempt the walk to the pub for a medicinal pint of bitter... then home again before Lara sends out a search party!
Oh, and if I bore you with any more moans about my sciatic nerve, just drop me a line and let me know.
It's the only way I'll learn.
Yours, as ever,
Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter
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