Non-drug ways to ease chronic pain

By Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. on May 7, 2024

More than 50 million U.S. adults contend with chronic pain -- that is, pain that persists for more than three months. Almost 7 million find that it's so bad that it limits mobility and makes social interaction and work difficult. And for far too many folks, it leads to depression, dementia, and misuse of pain-dulling substances.

But new research shows two powerful, non-drug ways to reduce your risk of chronic pain or dial it back once it starts. A study in the journal Pain found that the more physical activity you get, the less likely you'll contend with chronic pain -- possibly because exercise makes you more pain-tolerant. Folks with severe chronic pain in several body parts were 16% less likely to experience that pain if they consistently got a good dose of exercise.

Your goal: to discover the amount of activity that lets you become more pain tolerant. You want to make sure exercise doesn't cause worsening of pain over an extended period of time -- but to accept that you'll feel physically challenged during and after exercising.

Another way to ease chronic pain? A study in Nature Human Behavior reveals that when you are touched with care and appropriate intensity, pain decreases. And while a full massage is great, even a short hug or interaction with a comforting stuffed animal, a body pillow, or, yes, a robot, can do the trick.

For more ways to manage pain, read the iHerb.com's blog "15 Alternatives to Prescription Pain Medications," and Dr. Mike's book "The Great Age Reboot."

Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.