(NaturalPath) Pain is a pretty universal concept and everyone feels it differently, but there are several areas of the body that tend to be hotspots for pain, whether it be throbbing and chronic or piercing and acute. “The back, neck, shoulders, knees, joints, and head are all common areas where people experience pain,” said Daniel Cherkin, PhD, senior scientific investigator with the Group Health Research Institute.
There are natural ways to ease that pain. Take a look!
Back Pain
Back pain strikes about 36 million Americans and can be triggered in a variety of ways, affecting many areas of your life. Getting it under control can improve your productivity as well as your relationships if it has been really severe.
According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, recent research shows that massage therapy may be more effective than drugs for lower back pain.
Knee Pain
You may not think much about your knees until you feel shooting pain while walking upstairs or throbbing after being on the go all day. While there are other triggers for knee pain, a common one is wear and tear from arthritis. Being overweight puts added pressure on your knees, so losing pounds can help. Though it seems counterintuitive, exercise can help, as it strengthens muscles and tendons that support the joints. Keep moving! Maybe try a heating pad or go swimming as it doesn’t put as much pressure on your joints.
Joint Pain
Swollen joints hurt. They can also keep you from doing what you need or want to do. Arthritis is the top chronic-pain trigger in the United States. To ease the pain, make sure you are taking your vitamins.
Shoulder Pain
Your shoulder has a broader range of motion than any other joint in your body. “It’s especially prone to pain because there’s an added strain on a joint that can move in so many different directions,” says Irving Raphael the team physician at Syracuse University. One of the best ways to help your shoulder is to stretch and strengthen it.
Head and Neck Pain
About 45 million Americans get regular headaches and more than 75 percent of all headaches are tension headaches. The main culprit is linked to tightening of the muscles in your neck. So destress, relax those muscles and it could help.
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.