The Green Pharmacy for Pain

January 21, 2004

The worst pain I ever had was caused by a slipped disk. It was just

like the pain I'd experienced from time to time with gout--

unbearable. My doctor did what doctors do: He gave me potentially

addictive pain pills and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. I

took more drugs for that slipped disk than I'd ever taken in my

life. I also took more herbs than I'd ever previously taken, trying

to minimize the side effects of the pharmaceuticals.

Doctors recognize two kinds of pain, acute and chronic. Acute pain

comes on suddenly, typically subsides with time and usually is

alleviated with common pain relievers. Examples would be a headache

or the pain of an injury. Chronic pain may begin as acute pain, but

it lasts much longer--months or even years--and often cannot be

relieved using standard therapies. Those with chronic pain often

wind up in a personal hell. Their pain can make them depressed, and

with depression the pain may become worse and be more

difficult to treat.

If you have persistent pain, see a doctor for a diagnosis. Once the

cause has been figured out, rational treatment becomes possible. But

if, like many people who have chronic pain, you don't get a clear

diagnosis and your pain goes on and on, I'd suggest consulting a

pain clinic. These medical clinics, which are relative newcomers to

the health-care scene, use a variety of drugs and alternative

approaches to help you control your pain even if you can't

completely eliminate it. Among the alternative approaches used in

some pain clinics are exercise, meditation and biofeedback.

Green Pharmacy for Pain

There are also a number of herbs that can help.

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