Pain Relief for Weekend Warriors

This morning, I was talking to a colleague who told me he overdid it this weekend. He biked 40 miles on Saturday, and 20 more on Sunday. So, it was no surprise that he woke up today with stiff muscles and aching joints. But as I told him, weekend  sports activities needn’t leave you limping, provided you take care of your injury early.

Experts agree that the first three days are a window of opportunity for rapid healing. First aid for any type of musculoskeletal injury starts with RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). Here’s how you put it into practice.

* Rest doesn’t mean bed rest, which actually promotes stiffness and slows recovery, but avoiding vigorous activity that involves the injured area.

* Ice the injury early and often for 15-20 minutes at a time.

* Compression with an elasticized cloth bandage will minimize swelling.

* Elevation of the injured area above the level of your heart also helps to keep swelling at bay.

Additionally, there’s a new breakthrough I’ve been using with my patients to help with musculoskeletal discomfort. It’s called Meriva, and it’s a highly bioavailable, pain-reducing form of curcumin. It’s backed by significant research, and several soon-to-be-published studies demonstrate that just one small dose of Meriva is equivalent to 2,000 mg of regular curcumin. That’s 45 times the potency, which means it offers significant relief. You can look for products that contain Meriva in your health food store. It’s also available in my Joint & Muscle Comfort Plus formula.

Another powerful pain reliever for muscle aches is capsaicin, which comes from cayenne pepper. It’s been used therapeutically for centuries. Capsaicin works by depleting “substance P,” a neuropeptide produced by the nerves that carry pain sensations (the “P” stands for pain). Skin ointments containing capsaicin have been shown in studies to significantly relieve joint pain. Look for ointments with capsaicin in your local pharmacy or health food store.

Now it’s your turn: Have you found a natural pain solution for when you overdo it on the weekends?

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