Body pains can strike at the most inconvenient times, when you least expect them.
You could be performing an important task, a chore, or something that requires focus like cooking, and it just makes everything more difficult. For instance, you could lose your grip on something that you’re carrying, such as a drink, and drop it.
Body pains are no joke. They could be the sign of something important happening to your body. Some possible causes for your body to ache could be:
- Arthritis
- Pneumonia
- Fibromyalgia
- Fluid Retention
- Viruses such as the flu
- Hypokalemia
- Lack of Sleep
- Dehydration
- Stress and Fatigue
- Autoimmune Disorders
Regardless of the cause, serious body pains can be a hindrance to everything you do in life. There are many ways to keep them at bay while you perform your day-to-day tasks. We will tackle natural remedies (cold therapy hemp rub, epsom salt, etc.), body massages, activities and more.
Get ready to say goodbye to all the aches in your body.
1. Body Massages
This is perhaps the most common way in which one can stave off body pains. When your body’s screaming that it wants a break, the best way to get the aches out is by having a long, relaxing massage.
While being massaged, the recipient’s overall well-being and mind are put in a more relaxed state, enough to make them fall asleep. Sleeping after a massage will encourage cells in these areas to rebuild faster, which is why it’s so important. What you’ve lost during the day is rebuilt as you sleep. Do your body a favor, and get yourself a massage. This will be especially helpful if you’re trying to get rid of that pesky neck pain you’ve had for a few days now.
2. Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Yes, eating can help you ease body pains. But it doesn’t mean that you should snack on just anything. What you need is an anti-inflammatory diet.
An anti-inflammatory diet consists of foods that lower your odds of experiencing inflammation. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, this tip is ideal. Do note, however, that changing your diet to an anti-inflammatory one isn’t a magical or instant solution; it merely reduces the intensity of the pain you’re experiencing or lessens any flare-up episodes that may happen.
Below is a list of foods that an anti-inflammatory diet allows:
- Fish – Eat this at least twice a week. You should eat plenty of tuna, sardines and salmon. These have especially high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a natural compound that helps to fight off inflammation.
- Nuts – Eat a handful every day. These share the same kind of helpful fat that olive oil and avocadoes have. They are, however, higher in calories and fat than most other foods, so be cautious of how much you’re consuming.
- Beans – These are high in fiber and anti-oxidants.
- Fruits and Vegetables – Cherries, raspberries and blackberries are the prime sources of anti-inflammatory properties. Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, cabbage, and broccoli are also known to fight inflammation.
- Whole Grain Foods – Eat brown rice, oatmeal, whole-wheat breads and unrefined grain. This helps to fight off inflammation and is packed with fiber.
3. Exercise
There’s a saying that goes, “Feel the burn.” Get ready to instead say, “Burn the feeling.”
There’s a certain magic to exercising that can help you get through pain. While being in pain discourages us from exercising, it’s actually one of the things you should be doing to reduce that pain. A simple exercise you can do while you’re in pain is to walk around. Walk anywhere; around the house, out in the street or park (remember to wear the proper gear) or in the malls, etc.
Another way in which you could get through this is by doing Pilates, swimming, stretching or light-weight training. The possibilities are endless, and it’ll improve your quality of life overall.
4. Natural or Home Remedies
If you haven’t already gone down the pharmaceutical route, there are swaths of natural remedies out there to relieve body pain. Here are a few examples:
- Epsom Salt Soak – Pour a cup of Epsom salt into a bathtub filled with warm water, and let it dissolve for 20 to 30 minutes. Soak your body in the salt water while you bathe. Do this every day or every other day.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Drop a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into a cup of warm water and add some honey to it. Drink this. You may also add this to your bath water and soak yourself in it until the pain subsides. Do this once or twice a day.
- Cold Therapy Hemp Rub – Put some of this arctic-cold cream on your fingers and massage it into where it aches. Since your skin is the largest organ of your body, the cooling sensation from this all-natural cream should put the aching at ease.
- Cold Compress – Similar to the item above, taking an ice pack (or a pack of frozen peas) and placing it on your skin should assist in alleviating any body pains you may have.
5. Tai Chi or Yoga
Tai Chi is practiced by hundreds of thousands of people around the world every day. This ancient Chinese martial art is known to allow its practitioners to flow the energy called chi (sometimes spelled qi) through their body. The flow of chi is said to have almost miraculous properties in relieving body pain and revitalizing one’s body.
Yoga, on the other hand, is the art of stretching and allowing someone to align their chakras, points in their bodies where different energies intersect. It’s said that while you stretch in these various poses, you allow your prana (life force) to flow through your body and improve the way you feel entirely.
When to See a Doctor
If none of these methods cure your body pain, then you should seek professional medical help. If you experience a shortness of breath, vomiting, changes in vision or a seizure all while experiencing some form of body pain, this is not the time to try any of the above.
Be mindful of your body pain, and listen to what it tells you. Sometimes a good massage, an exercise session, eating well or joining a tai chi or yoga class might just do the trick for you.