A natural way to pain relief

While the recession that struck the U.S. in 2007 is officially over, the remnants still remain. That means Americans are working more hours not only to make ends meet, but to make sure they’re prepared should the economy ever take another nose-dive.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2006 and 2007, employed persons worked on average 7.6 hours a day. In the most recent survey (2010) tracking these statistics, employees worked 8.6 hours per day.

Longer hours in the office typically means fewer hours sleeping, and less time your patients are spending making sure they are well. Add to that the anxiety, stress, and frustration of having to work harder to support yourself and your family, and it’s likely you’re seeing patients with more health concerns than ever before.

And while regular chiropractic care is important, it’s not a miracle drug. Most chiropractors would agree that in addition to regular adjustments, patients need to be supplemented with additional healthcare tools.

This is where pain- and stress-relief supplements can play a huge role in the health and wellness of your patient.

When choosing a supplement to retail in your practice, the most important thing to consider may be whether or not the product is natural.

More specifically, products that contain valerian root, passion flower, and magnesium are said to be incredibly effective and beneficial.

Many consider the combination of these three natural ingredients to be very important in a pain-relief product, because they are found to relax muscles, which in turn helps control pain, tension, and ultimately helps relieve and prevent stress.

According to Daniel B. Mowrey, PhD, in Natural Relaxants, “Supplements containing valerian root, passion flower, and magnesium have been available for decades, and most people who use them have had no need to resort to prescription drugs.”

So what do these ingredients do specifically?

According to Mowrey, valerian root — or Valeriana officinalis — can be used to treat a number of conditions. In the modern day, Mowrey says, it is most effective in treating, “stress, muscle spasms, nervous exhaustion, headaches with nervous components, heart problems involving nervous tension, and insomnia …”

Similarly, passion flower — or Passiflora incarnate — is used most commonly as a sedative to fight off anxiety and to help promote sleep. It’s also known to help in the treatment of muscle cramps.

“Passion flower, like valerian root, has a long colorful history of use as a sedative. As an analgesic, it was used in France as early as 1897, and is still used to treat conditions such as neuralgia. But 1867 in America, passion flower had become an important part of the therapy used for various neuropathies.”

Lastly, Mowrey says, magnesium is “perhaps the most important for preventing and reversing signs of neural and neuromuscular overexcitement. Magnesium is a key element in the stabilization of the nerve cell.”

It’s important to also remember that a lot of the foods and drinks people consume can cause deficiencies and thus increase the level of minor aches and pains patients experience.

This is why a supplement containing valerian root, passiflora, and magnesium is not only important, but can help prevent this type of needless pain and discomfort in your patients’ lives.

All-natural pain-relief supplements also may reduce any possibility that dangerous side effects might occur. With most over-the-counter and prescription medications, patients not only run the risk of becoming addicted, but side effects like liver damage, heart attack, and stroke have become prominent in the U.S.

“The drug revolution has been so successful in America since its inception …that it has become the orthodox approach to healthcare,” says Mowrey. “And the thousands-year-old herbal medical literature has been ironically relegated to the ‘alternative’ approach.”

In addition to the risks associated with prescription pain medication, getting these kinds of medications are becoming more and more expensive due to the ever-evolving drug industry and the decline in insured patients.

Natural supplementation doesn’t run this risk. These types of products can be easily obtained from a trusted healthcare provider.

Arming your patients — and your practice — with the right choices for pain and stress relief is important. You’re not only providing them with the best and healthiest options available, but you’re making them patients for life.

When they trust that you have their best interests at heart, they will not only become life-long patients, but they’ll become your best referral source.

References

http://www.bls.gov/tus/charts/

Natural Relaxants: Freedom From Prescription Drugs, Daniel B. Mowrey, PhD.