A few days ago I slipped over onto my back while walking along a slippery path. During the rest of the day I felt a little stiff, and knowing that plenty of stretching usually fixes such minor injuries I carried on. The day after I felt Ok until the afternoon, when muscle spasm etc started to grab me when I moved in certain ways, and this gradually became worse. Yesterday morning getting into or out of bed was a 30 minute, agonising experience.
Today I went to a local GP (as I needed a medical certificate: how do some people have almost sole right to such a document?). This was partly against my better judgement, as I believed I had “put my back out”. Having done this before it was familiar territory.
Anyway the Dr decided that I had strained a muscle, after unsuccessfully trying to persuade me to induce the agonising cramp by movement “ so he could see what is happening”.
After discussing my various allergies (red wine, large amounts of sulphurous preservatives, and Aspirin etc) and suggesting that I “Google” Salicylates to better understand these allergies, he then prescribed some paracetamol and also Naprosyn.
Paracetamol causes marked constipation with me (and frankly I do not much care if I have a headache) so I do not take the stuff normally. I advised the Dr that while I was very uncomfortable, I was not in any real pain until the muscle spasms and cramping happened. I am now the proud owner of 100 tablets, he was about to prescribe 200 of these, and only changed the paperwork when I said I rarely take painkillers. All this,even though I told the Dr that the back injury had already caused constipation, something I never suffer from otherwise.
And now I have Googled salicylates and have been made aware of why I now am suffering a classic allergic reaction: the Naprosyn I have obediently taken is full of the stuff. Meanwhile I shall skip the paracetamol, to be badly constipated is surely a lot worse for my well-being than a headache from the fatigue of a slightly injured back.
I am wondering why a Doctor would prescribe such a thing. As it stands the only good advice I can see from him is” to keep moving as much as I can” however I already knew that well.
So Gary, is there a more sensible way to reduce inflammation?
Surely an anti inflammatory that triggers an allergy is also an inflammatory in another way?
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Gary:
Yes there is a much better way. The first step is to recognise that inflammation is the natural process of damage control and healing. Attempts to chemically interfere with this very complex process are at our peril. Rather than try to cut inflammation we need to support this process so that it runs the full course of damage control, removal of cell debris and toxins, stabilisation of any weakened structures and then the laying down of strong and resilient new tissue - full and final recovery.
Inflammation is good for you
Fear of inflammation is bad for you while being very good for drugs company profits
Generally, the best thing to do is to do nothing for the first 36 hours in the way of activity. From about 36 hours, gentle exercise can be introduced (assuming there is not a complete rupture or unstable fracture). Exercise can be gradually and carefully increased each day using pain to guide how much and how hard.
- Pain which diminishes as exercise progresses past about five minutes may be cautiously ignored.
- Pain which comes on as exercise progresses tells you it is time to stop and rest until tomorrow.
- Pain which does not diminish as exercise progresses means you need to back off and stop if it does not abate.
- Pain which progressively worsens as exercise progresses means you are not ready for anything other than gentle exercise - Stop and rest up!
- Pain which does not stop when exercise ceases means you need another day or two of rest or minimal exercise.
Pain is your Best Friend
Pain helps you determine just how much you can do
without suffering re-injury
As you have already decided: You do probably not need the pills your doctor supplied with enthusiasm. This is a terrible waste of taxpayer dollars. The best thing you can do is give them back to your chemist to dispose of safely. Do not flush them down the loo and do not sell them to some shady dealer downtown (Guess where all these illicit prescription drugs come from!).
Inflammation is controlled by the adrenal glands which secrete an array of steroidal hormones. Healthy adrenals are your best assurance. Healthy adrenals come from a diet that provides a dense nutrient intake, including magnesium and pyridoxine, among many others. Stress, physical and emotional, drag the adrenals into an exhausted state (Refer www.adrenalfatigue.co.nz - I am one of their registered practitioners if you want to do their programme). Incidentally, this exhausted state is evident in the majority of the population.
Search for potential "Body Burdens" that may be dragging you down. A Body Bruden may be untreated intestinal parasites, for example. The most common body burden is poor dental health. Gum disease or an untreated root abscess will produce a steady flow of toxins directly into the blood stream. This poison stresses the liver, adrenals and other organs and may thus be a source of chronic fatigue, ill health and excessive inflammatory reactions to injury and slow healing.
Nutrition is important for good healing. This includes a small amount of quality protein several times a day and lots of bright and dark vegetables and berries to name some. Supplements to expedite healing can include Reparen and Algotene.
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