Natural pain relievers: avoid the dangers of aspirin and ibuprofen
Nearly a third of all hospitalizations and deaths related to gastrointestinal bleeding are the result of the use of aspirin, ibuprofen, or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), according to an August 2005 report in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. But you may think, well, I’m just taking low-dose aspirin or baby aspirin, and my doctor told me to take it to prevent a heart attack. However, up to a third of these deaths from gastrointestinal bleeding were due to low-dose aspirin. In real-life figures, this means that out of 100,000 people who use aspirin, ibuprofen, and other NSAIDs, 15 will die from them.
If these odds sound good to you, go ahead. But if they seem quite tall and out of proportion to the reason you are using pain relievers, you may want to look into some natural alternatives.
If you need a pain reliever, you should research both acupuncture and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), if you want long-term results. Taking a pill or supplement that eliminates pain for a few hours is a coping mechanism, but not a solution. You have to find out why your body is experiencing pain and heals / releases the root or cause of that pain from your body. I particularly like EFT (which involves tapping on acupuncture meridian points) for this, because once you know how to do it, you can do it yourself and you don’t have to see a therapist for relief. EFT is incredibly effective for all types of pain; back pain, migraines, intestinal spasms, joint pain, etc. You can download the Basic Training Manual for free and also subscribe to the free EFT newsletter (which is great) at:
http://www.emofree.com
Another natural pain reliever is white willow bark (from which aspirin is derived). White willow bark was originally used by Native American Indians and boiled to make a tea that was drank for pain relief. It was also used 2,500 years ago by Chinese physicians, who also used willow bark to treat pain and fever.
In the 19th century, Western scientists discovered that the active ingredient in willow bark was salicin, a natural chemical that the body converts first to saligenin and then to salicylic acid. Using this model, German chemists synthesized acetylsalicylic acid (an unnatural molecular structure and therefore can be patented by the pharmaceutical company Bayer), from which all ASA (acetylsalicylic acid) pharmaceuticals are manufactured. However, both ASA and natural salicin work in a similar way.
White willow bark reduces pain by blocking the body’s production of inflammatory prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances involved in inflammation and muscle contraction. White willow bark is also a very effective fever reducer. You can buy it in capsule form and swallow it or open the capsules and mix the powder with cocoa butter to make a suppository (I do this for kids, but make sure to reduce the dose appropriately).
In its centuries of use, there have been no contraindications derived from the use of white willow bark or salicin. Traditionally, it has been shown to be safer than aspirin and other synthetic salicylate-based anti-inflammatory drugs. No cases of serious side effects have been reported in the medical literature. It is gentler on the stomach and has a less toxic effect on the body in general.
The only restriction on use is that white willow bark should not be taken with aspirin or by people who are sensitive to salicylates (found in foods like berries, gooseberries, prunes, and raisins). People with gastritis or ulcers should also avoid it, or use it only in suppository form. It should not be used by children under the age of 16, for the same reason that aspirin should not be used either: there is a possibility of developing Reye’s syndrome in children during a viral infection.
Several people have tried white willow bark for headaches, and all said it worked as well as a drug pain reliever. You can take white willow bark for immediate relief and to sustain you while you learn EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). Then once you have addressed the root and cause of your pain using EFT, you will be truly pain free in the long run and you will not need any herbal pain relievers or medications.