From A Massage Therapist: Diet and Exercise

1. How substantial a role do you feel diet plays in pain management? What is your top recommendation?

I think diet is vital to good health, ESPECIALLY pain management. My top two suggestions are; -Drink Plenty of Water: There are some great apps for your smart phone that can help you determine how much water you should drink and remind you to drink throughout the day. "Water Your Body" is the one I use. -Eat What Makes You Feel Good: I don't mean Ben and Jerry's after a break up. I mean what physically makes your body feel nice. There are no one-size-fits-all guidelines. Maybe salad makes you feel light and energetic, maybe a steak is what gets you through the day. Spend some time getting to know what makes your pain levels better or worse, keep a journal, know your body!

2. How substantial a role do you feel exercise plays in pain management? What is your top recommendation for style/duration/etc?

I'm as terrible at keeping up an exercise routine as the next person. I like to put aside the thought of 'exercise' and instead focus on movement. Stretching and walking can be the best things for pain management. Just be aware and reminds yourself to move your body! (Top Secret Tip: Dancing to your favorite music is the BEST for this.)

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Advice from the Experts

The Sore No More Blog has been putting out posts since 2010 telling you about how awesome our product is and letting you in on a variety of pain management options.

This year we're going to shake things up and bring you some advice from experts in the field of body care and health.  We hope that the insights from these individuals will offer you some useful tips for healthcare and some guidance if you need to seek out professional assistance.

Welcome to 2015! 

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Barometric Pressure and Pain

Have you ever known a storm was coming because you could 'feel it in your bones?'

What is Barometric Pressure?
Barometric pressure is the measurement of air pressure and can be described as follows:
"The weight of the air pressing down on the Earth, the ocean and on the air below causes air pressure. Earth's gravity, of course, causes the downward force that we know as "weight." Since the pressure depends upon the amount of air above the point where you're measuring the pressure, the pressure decreases as you go higher." (source)

These changes in pressure don't just impact the earth, but also impact the inhabitants- us.  Increased atmospheric pressure can do a number on our bodies and our pain levels.

Learn more about barometric pressure and pain by reading the following articles:

Pressure and Pain

Does Weather Affect Joint Pain?

Why Does Pain Get Worse When A Storm is Coming?

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Magnesium- the Magical Mineral

Many people take Calcium-Magnesium supplements because they know that calcium is vital to bone growth.  Magnesium tends to fall by the wayside as ‘that mineral you need to absorb calcium.’  The fact of the matter is that it’s a bit of a miracle substance that has many benefits to the human body. Some of those benefits include;

-Muscle Relaxation (and decreasing cramps)

-Improved Sleep

-Decrease in Anxiety and Depression

-Decrease in Body Odor

-Aid in treating, reversing or reducing the impact of a variety of illnesses.

-Healthy digestive/bowel function

Sometimes increasing your intake of magnesium rich foods, or taking a quality magnesium supplement can make all the difference in how you feel.

Learn more by reading some (or all!) of the following articles

Benefits of Magnesium Far Greater Than Previously Imagined

Are You Low on Magnesium?

Top Five Health Benefits of Magnesium

Magnesium for Pain Relief

Inflammation and Pain Management With Magnesium

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Pain Free 2013 Part I

Welcome to the first in a multi-part series about how to establish a pain free life in 2013.  Here, I’m going to give you cause to think and analyze your pain as well as steps to take to diminish it.  

Today, we’re going to discuss the root of your pain.  Some of the following questions may require more than a moment of thought.  Take your time. 

1. How long have you been experiencing pain? Is it chronic or acute? The duration of your pain tells you how much you’ve learned to live with it and how attached you actually may be to it.
2. Where is your pain located?
This one can actually be surprisingly difficult for some people.  If you can’t pinpoint the location(s) if your pain at a moment’s notice, it’s time to sit down and think about it. 
3. Is there a known cause for your pain?Did you have an accident? Did it just manifest? What happened when you first started experiencing the pain? All of these are keys to eliminating it. 
4.  Are you ready to get rid of your pain?This seems like an obvious question.  Sometimes, however, pain is a useful tool. Take the work-a-holic who only lets himself have down time when his back hurts.  Are you using your pain as a crutch in another area of your life? Until you’ve established this, you won’t be able to make a choice about whether you’re ready to eliminate it or not.  (And yes, it’s okay if you’re not ready.)

Take some time to think about these questions. Write them down if it will help.  They’re important questions leading to the next step in living a pain free life.   

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Modalities: Rolfing

There are so many different ways to deal with physical pain available.  The important thing to remember is that not everything is going to work for everyone.  However, if it’s on the market, the likelihood is that it has worked for at least a few people. It’s important to stay open minded and be willing to try new things in your pursuit of a pain free life.

Rolfing is a form of structural integration.  The idea is that by manipulation of soft tissue,  your body can be realigned.  In this particular form of manipulation, movements are used to break up adhesions in the fascia that may be restricting skeletal muscle movement and thus causing pain.

Developed by Ida P. Rolf, Rolfing has been in the works since the 1930’s and The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration has been around since the 1970’s.   

Rolfing is very deep work and is generally performed over a series of sessions aimed at normalizing body function.

To learn more about Rolfing, you can visit the Wikipedia article here.
Watch a Rolfing video here.


*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Psychosomatic Pain Part II

This is a continuation on last month's article on Psychosomatic Pain.

Emotions and Pain
Chronic pain can be tied to abuse as a child, or even as an adult {source}.  In fact, the brain processes physical pain and mental pain in a very similar manner, making the correlation between the two entirely feasible.  Without proper coping mechanisms, emotional pain can easily manifest itself into physical pain.  Likewise, physical pain can lend itself to emotional discontent.  In many cases, chronic pain and depression can be found living in a parasitic harmony, each feeding off the other.   

In her book ‘You Can Heal Your Life,’’ Lousie L. Hays lists the probable emotional cause for many different ailments and suggest affirmations to solve them.  It provides an interesting insight on how working through emotional pain can have a positive impact on physical pain.

Neurotransmitters and Pain
Neurotransmitters are responsible for delivering messages from your brain to your body and vise versa. They play vital roles in physical, mental and emotional reactions. Much like the hormone imbalances discussed in the adrenal fatigue section, neurotransmitter imbalances can impact physical pain levels and emotional wellbeing.  

Neurotransmitters work as filters in the communication network of the brain.  If the pain management filter is not working effectively, it can cause or worsen chronic pain.  

Solving the Problem
The first step to solving any pain problem is trusting yourself.  Trust that there is a way to solve your problem and that you are worth the effort required to get there.  You must be strong enough to seek out physicians and other healers who are able to help you.   

Adrenal fatigue, emotional stress and neurotransmitter imbalances can all be helped by lifestyle choices including nutritional changes and stress management techniques.  This may require adding things to your diet, finding a therapist you can communicate with, taking up a new exercise routine, and/or treating yourself to monthly massages.

Psychosomatic/psychogenic pain is very real.  Often times it is downplayed because of the difficulty in finding a physical cause.  A bruise hurts when you press on it.  It is an obvious physical pain with an obvious physical cause.  Just because the cause of a pain cannot be seen, visually does not make it less relevant.  Over time, pain that is caused by hormone imbalance, emotional struggle or neurotransmitter dysfunction can cause obvious physical problems (tightened muscles can move bones, generating disc, bursa and ligament problems to name a few).  As many of you know, at this point in the progression, problems become much more difficult to fix, so why not start trying to solve them now?

{Sources: Pain Center of Orlando, NaturalNews.Com, National Sleep Foundation, NCBI, Psychology Today, LA Times, Wikipedia, IWR.Com}

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Psychosomatic Pain Part I

Have you ever felt as though your chronic pain was being downplayed because it was “all in your head?”  That may be true.  The fact of the matter is that mental and emotional states can have a profound and very real impact on pain levels.  A high stress level has physical consequences.  It can exacerbate pain that is already present, such as arthritis.  Or, it can generate new pains that were not previously present, as is often the case with those suffering from Fibromyalgia.  

There are some key players in the stress-pain correlation;

Adrenal Fatigue
Hypoadrenia (adrenal fatigue) occurs when your adrenal glands become overworked, expelling too much adrenaline and cortisol.  These are your ‘fight or flight’ hormones.  In the absence of need to flee from, say, saber tooth tigers, today’s human is expelling far too many of these hormones in response to things like getting the incorrect order at Starbucks.

Adrenal fatigue can express itself as chronic pain and is often misdiagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia.  Muscular pain is a common symptom of adrenal fatigue, most specifically those muscles found in the legs (sartorius, gracilis, posterior tibialis, gastrocnemius, and soleus.)  These muscles impact the balance of the pelvis and can subsequently cause low back pain. Left unremedied, this unbalance can travel up the spine, generating mid back, upper back, shoulder, and even neck pain.

Sleep is often disturbed by adrenal fatigue. The imbalance of cortisol production makes falling asleep and staying asleep difficult.  Lack of quality REM sleep has long been known to impact pain levels negatively.

Learn more symptoms of adrenal fatigue here.

Check back next month for part two of the Psychosomatic Pain article. 


*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Cold Laser Therapy and Pain

Cold lasers are becoming more commonly implemented for pain management on a personal level and in alternative medicine and pain management offices.  These lasers interact with photo receptors in your cells to decrease inflammation and encourage tissues repair in injured areas.

Cold lasers penetrate through the upper layers of skin to reach their target area and stimulate mitochondria.  They may be useful in reducing pain and stimulating healing, which makes them a valuable asset to any pain or injury management regimen.

Find some more great information about cold lasers here;
Integrity Chiropractic 
ColdLasers.Org

{Sources: Coldlasers.org, Spine-Health, Integrity Chiropractic}


*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Promoting Spinal Disc Health

{Source}

 Maybe you’re one of many who suffer from herniated/bulging discs or nerve impingement that cause you pain.  Maybe you’re just trying to be preemptive in avoiding future problems.  Either way, there are certain steps you can take to encourage spinal disc health

1.  Aerobic and Resistance Exercise.  Even something as simple as taking a brisk 20 minute walk 3-4 days a week can promote spinal health.

2.  Supplements.  Supplements like Vitamin C, Glucosamine and Magnesium can help promote bone and disc health as well as decreasing inflammation, which promotes back pain.

3.  Weight.  Excessive body weight strains the back and encourages bulging discs.

4.  Posture.  Poor posture puts undue stress on the spine, encouraging pain and herniation.

5.  Proper Alignment. A visit to a chiropractor will ensure that your spine is properly aligned, and that your discs are given proper space to function, as well as discouraging nerve impingement.

These are a few simple ways you can do your best to keep yourself healthy and pain free!  However, if you’re experiencing back pain, keeping Sore No More on hand is an excellent way to manage it naturally!

{Sources; Spine-Health, Livestrong, Dr. Weil Blog}

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Can Chocolate Sooth Your Pain?

Chocolate is a well loved treat and thus,there are many beliefs attached to it.

Chocolate is good for your heart.  Chocolates high in antioxidants.  Chocolate makes you break out.  Chocolate will make you gain weight.   Chocolate is aphrodisiac.

Some of these are well founded and some are not. However, research has indicated that chocolate may actually help with pain!  

This article discusses findings that cocoa may be beneficial to those suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome.

“Certain foods, such as chocolate or chili peppers, can also lead to enhanced secretion of endorphins.” This article discusses the correlation between endorphins (like those released while eating chocolate) and a decrease in pain.

Learn about many of the uses of chocolate and cocoa beans over time, including to relieve pain here.

So pour a cup of tea, slather some Sore No More on the spots that bug you and indulge in some quality chocolate (don’t forget, dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and is better for you than its milk counterpart).  After all, it can’t hurt!


*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Sciatica

Sciatica is an umbrella term for pain, weakness or numbness caused by compression or injury of the Sciatic Nerve.

A variety of ailments can contribute to Sciatica including pelvic damage, slipped discs, Piriformis Syndrome (in which the Piriformis muscle exerts pressure on the sciatic nerve) or even tumors.

Sciatic pain can be naturally relieved through massage, chiropractic care or at home exercises (depending on what condition is causing the pain.)

Check out this website for some exercises to help relieve Sciatic pain;

Don’t forget... Sore No More can also help with your Sciatic pain!

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Happy Feet, Healthy Body?

Most of us don’t spend a lot of time focusing on our feet if they’re not giving us any real problems.  Sure, if you’ve been standing all day you might notice some aching, but if you’re having hip pain, you’re not likely to go looking to your feet for an answer.

You should though!

Our feet are our foundation, they get us from place to place and allow us to stay upright.  Through a series of bones, tendons and muscles they are connected to the entirety of our body.  Thus, when structural problems arise in the foot, it can cause pain in the knees, hips, back and even neck and shoulders!

Visiting a podiatrist and/or a chiropractor can give you more insight to your foot health.  They can evaluate how well balanced your feet are, how much your arch has fallen (if it has, and most people have some loss of arch as they age.), and what methods would be best to increase your foot health.  (Including orthotics, foot exercises, better shoe types, etc.)

So next time you’re in pain and don’t know why, consider getting your feet checked out!  Until then, apply a bit of Sore No More to your problem areas to sooth that pain away.

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Foods That Can Help You Feel Better Part I

We’ve discussed the correlation between food and pain here on the Sore No More blog before.  In this post we talked about how to combat inflammation through diet.    

Today we’re going to take a look at a few foods that might actually help decrease pain and increase the function of your body.

Leafy Green Veggies;

These are rich in calcium that is fantastic for building bone strength.  This is useful if you have a bone malady such as osteoarthritis, but strengthening bones can also help to combat musculo-skeletal ailments and will promote healing.

Oranges;

“By analysing the diets of over 25,000 individuals a team from the University of Manchester, UK found that those with beta-cryptoxanthin in their diet (found in oranges, apricots, nectarines, tangerines, papaya, peaches, plums, and watermelon) were less likely to develop painful inflammatory joint conditions1. The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, said that as little as a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice was enough to make a difference. “  {Source}

(Did you know that orange peel extract is also an ingredient in Sore No More?)

Cayenne Pepper;

The active compound in cayenne pepper is Capsaicin, which you may recognize as being one of the active ingredients in Sore No More! But did you know it can actually help combat joint inflammation and improve circulation from inside your body as well? So if you enjoy spicy food, rest assured that you’re doing your aches and pains a favor.  

Enjoy some of these foods that are good for your body, inside and out and stay tuned for future segments about foods that can help rid you of pain!

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Posture Is A Plus

Click the picture for another great article on posture!

Good posture is key in how you present yourself to others.  It’s also important to your overall health.  Poor posture can lead to a variety of problems including;

-Change in appearance (slouching)
-Pain
-Fatigue


While it can sometimes seem unbelievably hard to correct your posture there are some exercises that can help you strengthen muscles that support good posture. Check out the following links for more information;

Five Stretches To Improve Posture
Improve Your ‘Hunched Over the PC’ Posture
3 Exercises To Improve Your Posture
Exercises to Improve Your Posture


Improving your posture can decrease back and neck pain, make you feel more confident and even ease your breathing, so give these exercises a try and see if they help improve your health! 

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Children With Chronic Pain

When you think of chronic pain, you probably think of adults with injuries or age related problems.  Maybe with an unpleasant condition that they’re forced to live with.   However, how often do we think of chronic pain in terms of children?


It is a sad fact that there are children who do suffer from chronic pain.   Some have sustained injuries, others have ailments that cause them pain.  Children can have a very difficult time dealing with chronic pain, especially when it interferes with school, sleep cycles and time with friends.  


These links will provide some information of children with chronic pain.

• Talk Therapy for Kids’ Pain: Better Than Pills?
  This Time magazine article talks about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and how it can be used to help kids deal with their chronic pain.

• Conquering Chronic Pain In Children
  This article discusses the book ‘Conquering Your Child’s Chronic Pain’ and discusses how adults can help children with chronic pain.
  
• Managing Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents
  This article discusses child and adolescent pain in a medical light.

These article discuss the three most common types of chronic pain in children and teens; headaches, abdominal pain and musculoskeletal pain.  


Perhaps the most important thing to remember when you are interacting with a child with chronic pain is patience and empathy.  Anyone who has ever been in pain knows how frustrating it can be.  It is even more so for kids and teens who or of an age that is rarely associated with this type of pain.  Being supportive is vital to helping a child cope!

How Dehydration Makes You Hurt

The human body is more than 55% water.

Water is VITAL to most of the body’s functions.  So why are most of us not optimally hydrated?

How does dehydration affect your level of pain?   Dehydrated muscles won’t function as well as hydrated ones.  Hydration plays an important role in circulation which is vital to muscle movement.  Being poorly hydrated can results in more lengthy muscle soreness, as muscles try to heal themselves and can also contribute to muscle cramping.

Being dehydrated can also cause headaches.  Keep in mind next time you’ve got a headache after having a few cups of coffee and it might not be a caffeine headache, it might be a dehydration headache!

You should drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day.

• In example: If you way 150lbs, you should be drinking 75oz of water daily.  
• That’s 9.4 8oz glasses of water.   
• 8oz of water is equivalent to a measuring cup full of water.
• Most standard sized kitchen glasses are 16oz.

Next time you’re experiencing muscle pain or headaches, after you’ve applied your Sore No More, drink an extra glass of water to help your body function its best and stay pain free!

{Sources: One, Two, Three}

Explaining Chronic Pain To Your Friends and Family

The purpose of Sore No More is to help you manage your pain.   While many of our customers keep a tub on hand to sooth over-worked calves after a day of hiking or shoulders after a stressful day at the office, many also use it regularly to help them deal with their chronic pain.

Nearly everyone who has to live with chronic pain has experienced the affect it can have on relationships with others.  Whether you snapped at your kids or bailed on dinner with friends, it can be hard to express to those we love how pain impacts our lives.  

We want to help you manage your chronic pain above and beyond the topical qualities of our product.  The following is a list of links that will provide you with resources regarding how to explain your chronic pain to friends and family.  

• Chronic Pain Message Board Post - How to Explain Chronic Pain to a Four Year Old
• How Do You Explain Chronic Pain To Others
• Yahoo Answers- How Can Chronic Pain Be Explained to Those Who Don’t Suffer From It?
• “The Spoon Theory” How to explain a day in the life of someone who is chronically ill.

Remember that there is always help and support to be found online and there are MANY resources available to remind you that you’re not alone and to help you communicate to those around you.