The most common question I receive at Shaker Women’s Wellness after beginning chiropractic care is “What can I do at home to reduce my pain between treatments?” These are my top 5 recommendations for accelerating healing and managing pain at home. Whether recovering from an injury, managing chronic pain, or improving your postpartum recovery, the right home care tools can help accelerate your healing process. FYI- this blog post contains affiliate links on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
My Five Fav's plus Bonus:
1. Heating pads improve the blood flow into the muscles. It helps to reduce muscle spasms and relax tight muscles. Tight muscles restrict the ability of the joints to move through their ranges of motion and can irritate the surrounding nerves. Heat used 1-2 times per day for 10 minutes can greatly reduce muscle spasms and increase healing of the tissues. My favorite heating pads are Thermophone Heating Pads.
2. Biofreeze and Arnica gel are my go-to topical lotions for pain management. Both have natural anti-inflammatory properties to reduce pain, improve blood flow to the muscles and create an analgesic response to arthritic pain, strain/sprain injuries, and nerve pain.
3. Low Magnesium in the body causes a build up of lactic acid in the muscles as well as contributes to muscle spasms, tension and migraine headaches and knots or trigger points in the muscles. Applying magnesium cream to the area of pain as well as the bottoms of the feet will penetrate the magnesium into the body and reduce pain and soreness.
4. Kinesiotape, when performed correctly, applies pressure to the body, reduces pain signals, acts like a brace, and allows the muscles and joints to still move through their normal ranges of motion. Kinesiotape acts like a hug, it pressurizes the tissues and cools down the pain sensors. Kinesiotape is waterproof and can be worn for up to 3-4 days for pain management and healing.
5. Iron is a critical mineral in the management of pain. Please check with a medical provider and get your iron levels checked regularly. Women are more susceptible to iron deficiency and anemia, especially during pregnancy and menstruation. Low iron reduces the muscles energy and can result in pain. Low iron is also associated with fatigue, leg cramping, restless leg syndrome, headaches and brain fog. Haven’t had your labs checked in years, we can order the labs at your next visit!
Bonus Product? Yes! My favorite home care device for chronic pain, sciatica, and hip pain is TENS 7000 Consumer TENS unit. TENS stimulates and pressurizes the nerve sensors that cause pain. It relaxes the muscles and reduces the pain. Although temporary, it can provide a significant amount of relief while dealing with the root cause of the pain. This device should not be used for pregnancy related pain. It is contraindicated for pregnancy.
Chiropractic care is very effective at treating neck pain, lower back pain and headaches, while at home care supports your body’s natural ability to heal. If you are unsure of which products or services are right for you, ask at your next visit. Every woman’s body is different and your care should be too! If you are visiting our website for the first time, and are wondering if chiropractic care is right for you, we are here to help. Schedule a visit or reach out to learn how chiropractic can help support your journey- one step at a time.
Disclosure: This blog is for educational purposes only and may contain affiliate links. This is not to be used or intended to replace medical advise or to be used instead of medical treatment. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I genuinely believe may be helpful and supportive for patients and readers.
Angela Sedgwick, DC
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