Aches and pains cause millions of Americans to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) like Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Advil, Bayer, and Aspirin, but research links these common pain relievers to higher risks than once believed. Fortunately, there are alternatives that can reduce inflammation without the risk of side effects.

Inflammation & Arthritis Pain

Inflammation occurs when there is damage to tissues of the body. Common signs of inflammation include pain, swelling, redness, and warmth over the area of injury. While inflammation is a natural response to injury, it can become severe or chronic, contributing to significant pain and disability. Inflammation is a large component of the pain experienced by those with osteoarthritis, which affects over 30 million American adults. Controlling inflammation can help these patients control pain and stay more active.

NSAID medications are commonly used for inflammation and arthritis, but they can be hard on the digestive system, sometimes damaging organs and causing stomach upset and bleeding. The body's processing of these drugs can lead to liver or kidney damage for some patients. Others can experience increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Anti-inflammatory medications can reduce pain by blocking inflammation in the body, but this benefit may not be worth the risk for some patients.

Natural Strategies to Reduce Inflammation

Anti-inflammatory medication is not the only way to reduced inflammation. Healthy habits can help reduce inflammation in the body, and may be even more effective than medication for some patients without the risk of side effects. Try improving these habits to reduce your inflammatory aches and pains:

• Avoid inflammatory processed foods and eat more whole foods
• Drink plenty of water
• Keep up with active exercise to your tolerance
• Counteract stress with stress-relieving habits
• Ensure adequate sleep each night (6 hour absolute minimum)
• Improve your posture to reduce physical stress on your joints and soft tissues

Extra Support to Reduce Inflammation

These health habits can reduce inflammatory aches and pains in most patients, but some may need a little more help. A variety of food and herbs are anti-inflammatory and can help even more. One of our favorite supplements to support a healthy inflammatory response (especially for those patients we see with arthritis pains) is Boswellia Complex by Mediherb. This herbal supplement includes boswellia, ginger, turmeric, and celery seed, four naturally anti-inflammatory herbs. This combination inhibits inflammatory leukotrienes without interfering with other processes of the body so we don't have to worry about the risks associated with NSAIDs.

One tip when taking boswellia to help inflammatory levels, is to take it with a meal when eating healthy fats or oils. This helps improve the effectiveness. Start improving your habits today, and try Boswellia Complex if you need more anti-inflammatory support.

Researchers looking for methods to better evaluate treatment options for health conditions have developed the "Benefit-Harm Scale," and a recent study used this scale on back pain treatments to highlight which options provide the most benefit and least harm.

Some health conditions have multiple treatment options that could be utilized to benefit a patient, but it's important to balance not just benefit, but also harm. A treatment that can be helpful but has high risk of harm is unlikely to be the best choice. That's why the Benefit-Harm Scale was developed as an easy way to assess the potential benefit and risk of a treatment, and compare it to other options.

A recent study published in The Spine Journal, reviewed research for common back treatments, including chiropractic spinal manipulation, acupuncture, medication, injections, and surgery. The graphic below illustrates the benefit and harm of these treatment options for chronic low back pain.

Evidence Lacking for Many Back Pain Treatments

The most surprising result may be the lack of evidence to appropriately evaluate many of the treatments. The researchers found a lack of quality evidence supporting medications, injections, and surgery, and were therefore unable to evaluate the benefit of these options. Evidence evaluating harm was also lacking with most of the medications studied, while serious harms have been identified for opioids and surgery.

In contrast, both spinal manipulation and acupuncture have quality evidence of benefit and low harm risk. The study authors concluded that more research is needed to further evaluate the various treatment options, but based on available evidence "acupuncture and spinal manipulation provide safer benefits than pharmacological or invasive interventions" for chronic low back pain.

 
One of our favorite types of patients to help with chiropractic care is pregnant mothers. This is because 1) they often respond well to care and appreciate the benefits of an easier, more comfortable pregnancy, and 2) improving mom's health can benefit the health of the baby at the same time.

Avoid The Need for Medications With Chiropractic

The body goes through significant changes to support a developing baby, and this can result in discomfort. Pelvic area pain is most common during pregnancy while low back pain is most common following pregnancy. Those with both pelvic and back pain lasting 3 months after delivery are at the greatest risk of unresolving pain, with 30% becoming chronic. Instead of resorting to medication, chiropractic care provides an effective drug-free option to relieve pain and improve function again.

Chiropractic care during pregnancy is a great solution to avoid medications that may be harmful to the baby or cause side effects for mom. A drug-free approach like chiropractic adjusting helps alleviate pains and improve the ability to be active without the known or sometimes unknown risks of medication. Researchers are increasingly questioning the use of even tylenol during pregnancy which has been recommended for years as a safer alternative  to other medications.

Chiropractic Adjusting for Pregnant Moms

During pregnancy, chiropractic techniques may be modified to make treatment as comfortable as possible. Special tables allow mom to lie on her stomach in a comfortable position without pressure on the abdomen. In this position, chiropractic adjustments can be made to help reduce muscle tightness, improve joint motion, reduce swelling and inflammation, and ease discomfort.

Your chiropractic physician will provide other helpful tips to feel your best and be your healthiest during pregnancy. These often include advice on exercises, posture, diet, and other beneficial lifestyle habits. The combination of chiropractic care and healthy habits results in a healthier and happier pregnancy for mom and baby. Make sure to include a doctor of chiropractic on your pregnancy care team.