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Aspirin Alternatives: The Top Natural Pain-Relieving Analgesics, June, 1999
From the ancients to modern man, pain has been with us throughout our existence. It is one of those aspects of life that we cannot escape. Pain is a universal malady, one that we can expect to experience on numerous occasions during our lifetime and to which no person is immune. In fact, pain could be considered the ultimate aspect of being alive, for "where there is pain, there is life."
Pain is both a blessing and a curse. On the positive side, it is our bodys' way of letting us know when something is wrong and provides us with protection against further damage by pain sensations which cause us to limit motion and activities. Without this critically important mechanism, we would surely perish. But pain, especially unrelieved, chronic pain; can become a serious problem. This type of pain serves neither beneficial purpose nor reason. It is pain that has become unrelenting and debilitating; at times leading to such suffering that a person's life may become shattered and ruined.
Pain, no matter the reason, triggers the immediate desire for relief; preferably the faster the relief, the better. But pain is much more than just a hurtful sensation or a pain syndrome. Pain is a signal, a red flag of alert from our body. More critical than the pain relief is the need to evaluate, understand, treat and correct the underlying cause(s), which have triggered the pain. For both short and long-term relief, the correction of the underlying problem is the most important factor.
Natural approaches to pain relief and pain control have been with us throughout man's recorded history. From the ancient Egyptians to the Chinese culture, natural methods for relieving pain have been documented. It wasn't until the advent of "modern chemical medicine," in this country during the late 1800's and early 1900's that natural approaches were forced out of the mainstream and regaled to the proverbial "back closet." The reasons this occurred are many and beyond the scope of this book. Suffice it to say that the medical and pharmaceutical establishments that came to the forefront during that time period played a significant role in shifting treatment approaches away from "natural medicine." Many natural methods were labeled with such terms as "quackery" and "unscientific," and commonly used natural approaches were derided and dismissed across the spectrum. There can be no doubt that dangerous substances, usually touted as "naturally based," were being hawked by con men and other disreputable persons. The medical establishment made great use of this fact and branded most everything "natural" as useless or dangerous. Ironically, the majority of synthetic, chemical medicines that have been developed have been derived from "natural" plant sources.
In the United States, we are currently undergoing a renaissance in regard to "natural medicine" and the various approaches found under this umbrella term. Usage of Alternative, Natural, Complimentary and Integrative Medicine approaches to health, wellness and disease have been progressing at a fantastic rate. The return to natural methods has been driven by the general public. There is a great deal of dissatisfaction in how medicine is delivered in the United States. For many of you, modern medicine has not provided the needed answers, relief nor resolution of many chronic and debilitating diseases. There is no doubt that medicine in this country focuses on disease and not on wellness and health. Interestingly, modern medicine is facing the same backlash it instigated against natural medicine earlier in this century.
The natural health renaissance has produced an amazing amount of information covering a variety of natural approaches to symptoms and diseases. Research into natural substances and approaches has been going on for a number of years, especially outside of the United States. In the last few years, the amount of research being performed has increased tremendously.
In conjunction with this research, a number of healthcare professionals from a variety of healthcare disciplines are providing invaluable information in regard to working with natural medicine. Unfortunately, as with so many things in this information age of ours, we are being deluged with too much information; much of it which appears confusing and contradictory. This is further complicated by the fact that many of you are just learning about natural medicine. You don't know which information is right for your particular problem or healthcare needs. You don't have the background nor training to decide which natural approach, either by itself or in combination with others, is needed.
Another critical issue that adds even more complexity to this situation is that many of you are taking over-the-counter and/or prescription medications. It can be extremely dangerous mixing natural substances with synthetic medications. All of these issues makes it very difficult for you to decide what will and won't work for your particular circumstances and what, if any, dangers are involved. How do I know this is occurring? On a daily basis, both inside and outside of my practice, I am bombarded with questions and concerns from the general public concerning natural medicinal approaches. It was from this that I realized a reference type of book was needed to help you sort through the minefield of natural health.
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