Infinite Life Fitness

Long day at work?

7 Tips for alleviating your body aches and pains.

When it comes to pain, it is not fun. You may have to force a smile on your face if you are at  work, or out at a gathering, however pain is draining. It can affect your energy, your sense of vitality, and level of positivity. Below are my naturopathic tips for reducing the daily aches and pains.

 1. Shift your mind. Yes pain is subjective, but it is also very personal. It stays with us, like a foe…or how about we think of it as a companion, or a friend? By changing our perspective of how we view pain and nagging aches, we can change our experience of it.

2. Rest and relax. We are so accustomed to being so busy in our lives; however, we don’t incorporate true relaxation into our day. We may incorporate exercise, or reading before bed, however, that is not true relaxation. By relaxing I mean having quiet time in your immediate environment, and in your mind. It can be as simple as sitting comfortably while doing calm and relaxed breathing while you focus on your breath (and not on the pain); or it can be doing meditation where you focus on a meaningful word or phrase or sound. An enjoyable way to really relax is to incorporate pictures – that is, invoke your imagination (with your eyes closed) to create a relaxing and beautiful image or scene. Picture yourself in the scene, say a beach – hearing the sounds of the waves, feeling the sand, feeling the warm sun on your skin…you get the idea. Relaxing doesn’t have to be like a one hour workout, I suggest breaking it up and doing 5 minutes at a time; eventually build up so you do this 2-3 times a day.

3. Anti-inflammatory diet. Often when we eat poorly, we function poorly, and it’s no wonder since a junk food diet is one that promotes inflammation. Foods that reduce inflammation include cold water fish, flaxseed, chia seed, walnuts, and lots of vegetables. Useful culinary spices like turmeric and ginger have anti-inflammatory effects and are easy to incorporate into your diet or as a supplement.

4. Address nutritional imbalance. Common nutritional imbalances that can relate to pain include vitamin D, magnesium, soft tissue calcium deposits (eg: in joints, heel-spurs, tendonitis), and vitamin K2. The American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation published a study by New Jersey researchers found that treatment of vitamin D deficiency produced an increase in muscle strength and a significant decrease in back and lower-limb pain within six months. Also, it is common that people tend to build up calcium in soft tissues (like tendons, arteries, organs) which can trigger inflammation and pain. Calcium tends to build up in areas of old injuries, and in general when there is a deficiency of vitamin K2. I have found in my naturopathic medical practice that magnesium and vitamin K2 can really help with nagging persistent pains, including pain that can be immobilizing.

5. Get moving. Exercise tones the muscles that promote healthy circulation. If you don’t circulate, then you are stagnant, and you are more prone to pain and low energy. Walking daily is a simple way to get you going on a healthy routine that can help your body cope with chronic pain.

6. Drink your fluids. Without enough fluids, you cannot effectively heal.

7. Look at your feet. Poor posture can start in your feet, and lead to low back pain. Get checked by your chiropractor. Pain in the feet is also a common problem, and you may have bunions, hammertoe, or heel spurs – seeing a podiatrist or chiropodist can really help resolve the pain in your feet, and get you smiling from the inside out.

Rahim Habib is a writer for Bell Lifestyle Products www.belllifestyleproducts.com, which is a natural health herbs and supplements company. Rahim Habib is also a registered naturopathic doctor who has a general family practice, with a special interest in helping patients comprehensively detoxify their bodies for preventative and therapeutic benefit. He is the director of the Four Seasons Naturopathic Clinic for Detoxification and Healing.