Clients of Roots of Wellness Ayurveda seek Ayurvedic care for their aches and pains – often seeking help for acute back pain. Along with our recommendations for managing vata dosha, the dosha responsible for nerve signaling and pain response, with anti-inflammatory and analgesic herbs such as ginger, turmeric, and nirgundi Vitex negundo, we offer lifestyle suggestions that include oil massage (try Mahanarayan Oil) for topical application and we often recommend yoga. Yoga offers myriad benefits including spinal traction, core strengthening, breath control and mindfulness – techniques proven to benefit you if you suffer from back pain.
On this episode of Morning Edition by NPR, Patti Neighmond discusses the pros and cons of alternative care for back pain with Dr. Nitan Damle, MD, president of the American College of Physicians. As Dr. Damle explains, before reaching for over-the-counter pain medicine or prescription pain medicine, which can give you gastritis, stomach upset, and raise your blood pressure, or expose you to possible serious side effects of narcotic pain meds – try yoga, mindfulness, and purposeful relaxation.
“It’s moving away from simple fixes to a more complex view that how to make the back better involves a lot of lifestyle changes that a pill isn’t going to solve,” explains primary care doctor Steven Atlas with Massachusetts General Hospital about the latest physician guidelines.
New guidelines from the American College of Physicians say don’t reach for medicine, over-the-counter analgesics, NSAIDs (including Ibuprofen or Tylenol), or prescription pain killers. Instead, try yoga or acupuncture. Now, before you roll your eyes, listen to Patti Neighmond’s report.
Learn more, and listen to the full interview at NPR.