A lot of people suffer from chronic pain whether it is in the neck, lower back, knees, or even feet. I too once suffered from severe debilitating pain a little after the birth of my second child. Here is my personal story and journey on how I got my life back after a year of suffering.
The pains began gradually but by the end of most days I could not get up out of a chair I was so achy and my body felt inflamed/sore. I got a wicked case of iritis, which is inflammation of the eye (NOT FUN). Not too soon after that I got a crippling double dose of plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the fascia) in both feet, which left every step I took painful. Both conditions were a signal to me that my body was inflamed, hurting, and trying to tell me something.
It took over 6 months for my eye and feet to feel normal again. But the everyday “pains” were still there. They creeped in at the worst times usually mid day sciatic pains would make me limp a little and neck stiffness haunted me daily. I could not figure out what was wrong with me. I have always been one to not medicate but when it comes to pain I had no choice. I popped advil quite a few times each day but still would suffer through the pain. I even got nicknamed the “robot” from some of my family members as I was so stiff all the time and could not turn my neck.
After about 6 months of suffering and trying to cope I went to my doctor and explained to him what was going on. He referred me to a Rheumatologist who (to make a long story short) convinced me I had early onset of arthritis and prescribed me muscle relaxers and a potent arthritis injectable drug. I told him “no thanks” not interested. I wanted to know why at age 26 was my body doing this, why was it inflamed and achy all the time. He had no other answers other than its genetic (I hate that excuse) and there was nothing else I could do and sent me on my way.
I was frustrated, losing hope, and the pain was starting to affect my daily life. At this point I started researching on the Internet homeopathic ways to treat arthritis and inflammation. I picked up books and scientific journal studies and did all I could to find out what was causing my body to inflame and my joints to hurt so much. It was a long journey but glad to say today I am 95% pain free most days and I really do feel GREAT! Here are the steps I took to heal myself……..
Acupuncture – I received 6-8 treatments.
Acupuncture is part of Chinese medicine and is one of the oldest healing practices in the world. A practitioner stimulates specific points on the body by inserting thin needles through the skin.
Removed all grains- from my diet and basically started with the Paleo/Primal way of eating.
Gluten and most of today’s “ grains” are HUGE contributors to inflammation and it was almost instant relief dropping these from my diet.
Eat more “healthy” fat– like pastured butter, ghee, coconut oil, olives, avocado, sprouted nuts and seeds, olive oil and take fermented Cod liver oil supplements daily.
Cod liver oil supplements can offer a natural pain management treatment without the harmful side effects that go along with anti-inflammatory drugs. Research has shown that it’s the high content of omega-3 essential fatty acids found in CLO that have significant anti-inflammatory properties.
Avoid nightshade plants– such as red and green peppers, eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes. These nightshades are considered a “calcinogenic” plant.
“Overconsumption of calcitriol from nightshade foods can circumvent the kidney’s control and over time lead to calcium deposits in the soft tissues such as the tendons, ligaments, cartilage, cardiovascular tissues, kidneys and skin. Osteoarthritis is basically calcium deposits in the soft tissues of joints”. (Source: Weston A. Price)
Weekly chiropractor adjustments – At first I was too stiff to even get adjusted but after a few sessions my muscles started to give and adjustments were easier.
In a study performed at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Chiropractic adjustment was shown to reduce the production of two inflammatory cytokines. This study suggests a whole-body benefit that is even more beneficial that reduction of chronic local inflammation.
Ginger, Turmeric, and Celery Seed Tea– 3 cups a day (1 of each).
Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and is beneficial for the treatment of sciatica. Turmeric is loaded with potent antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties to help all kinds of arthritis. Celery seed is a pain specialist useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis, cystitis, and gout.
Zyflammend Whole Body Supplement by New Chapter–I take these twice a day now for maintenance.
This supplement is 100% natural with ginger, turmeric, green tea, rosemary plus more herbs that help support a healthy inflammation response that can benefit the whole body. 
Exercise- I started with Pilates 3 times a week and yoga twice and walked or jogged most days. Exercise kept me flexible despite the pain and also in shape. Now-a-days I am able to really push myself athletically and love any fitness challenge!
Lastly, and the most IMPORTANT STEP I took was to have hope and pray. I asked God daily to help heal my body and make the efforts I was trying work. Also I would visualize for 5-10 min a day doing the things I loved pain free. I saw myself running, lifting kids, just
moving around with a smile on my face. Visualization is a powerful tool in creating change in any aspect of your life! Overall it took about 3 months into starting these steps to feel things were getting better and today I am pretty much pain free and enjoying every day! Our bodies want to heal and be in balance. Instead of putting a band-aid (medication) on the pain it was worth it to dig deeper and heal from the inside out.