I’m known as a pain specialist amongst my base, simply because 80 per cent of my cases are related to chronic pain as a symptom, resulting in chronic fatigue. The pain could be of any nature: uric acid pain, auto immune condition pain, back pain, neck pain, knee pain… most of us do experience chronic pains as part of our working lives. So here are some golden rules to ease out pain naturally within 24-48 hours:
Rest it out: If you have pain, your body is telling you two things: your pain is due to inflammation and fatigue. If you exert, it will increase pain. So just rest it out.
Change your carbs: Pain gets aggravated by gluten and refined carbohydrates. So quickly switch to millets, oats, brown rice.
Hydrate: Water and fluids take away blood from the pain location, making inflammation less. Drinking water almost immediately reduces pain as it dilutes the blood and thins it, reducing the throbbing.
Top up on these: Vitamin C, B & zinc help subside pain. Vitamin C is a natural anti-inflammatory and blood thinner, vitamin B calms the nerves and nerve response of pain to the brain as well as reduces brain fuzziness caused due to the pain, and zinc strengthens the immune system to deal with pain better. All three are water soluble, hence get depleted fast during stressful situations. When you are in pain, you are stressed out. Replenishing these vitamins reduces response to pain and pain itself. Take one each twice a day. Do not exceed more than 30 mg of zinc.
Eat these fruits: A large bowl of papaya reduces pain response due to papain, an anti-inflammatory present in the fruit and works wonders within a few hours. An apple settles the stomach, which has produced enzymes as a pain response, hence reducing the pain.
Go for this combination: One teaspoon minced garlic, one teaspoon turmeric, one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, mixed and swallowed. All three are potent anti-inflammatories, and extremely effective in reducing even the most chronic of pains. Take these after you have had a fruit or a few nuts as your stomach could get queasy.
In 24 hours, you will begin to see pain levels go down and in 48 hours, you will start feeling much better. Once you ride over the pain and cut the cycle, don’t leave it there. Whichever part or joint of the body that gets chronic pain needs to be strengthened. So while you continue with the above rules for keeping pain at bay, get into a functional training programme that can help you stay pain-free. I have seen patients who were advised knee replacements and spine surgery eliminate pain and strengthen their bodies with these foods and functional training and reverse their surgeries as well. If they can do it, so can you!
Question Of The FortnightSend in your questions to askrachnachhachhi@gmail.com
My PSA is coming consistently high and the doctor says I could get prostate cancer if I don’t get it down. I lead a healthy lifestyle, how is that possible? — Naren Kumar, 47, Lucknow
Dear Naren,
Getting your Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) down is easier than thought. Eliminate non-veg (except eggs), wheat, white flour, start having more of papaya, pomegranate, apples, carrots in your diet, go for raw nuts and salad with extra virgin olive oil, do relaxing pranayamas under the supervision of an expert yoga teacher and do prostate strengthening exercises like holding your groin for 10 seconds, and releasing it, 10 times x 3 times a day. Prostate cancer strikes in the 60s for many men, but it’s a very treatable cancer with a long gestation period. Lifestyle changes easily reverse early stage prostate cancer.
Columnist
Rachna Chhachhi is a certified holistic cancer nutrition and yoga expert, and author of four bestselling health books. She treats across 27 countries.
