Natural Pain Management – Dr Anton De Waard Homeopath Durban

NATURAL PAIN MANAGEMENT?

FOCUS ON PALMITOYLETHANOLAMIDE - PEA.

Natural treatment of pain has tended to be difficult, and mainstream pain killers have tended to work much quicker and faster than natural ones. As a practitioner, I have typically focussed on trying to help the body with the underlying cause of the pain (if possible). However, there is a natural substance that might help people with chronic pain or even help them reduce the amount of pain and inflammation medicine they are taking.

Palmitylethanolamide (PEA) is a naturally occurring molecule that is produced in our body and found in many foods. It has been studied for over 65 years, with a lot more research done in recent years. It has been shown to have some impressive benefits:

PAIN RELIEF – PEA seems to be particularly useful for nerve pain. Many studies have shown this. It reduces inflammation in the nerve, reduces swelling, reduces pain signals, and may improve the health of the nerve. Research has shown that it is useful for sciatic pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, migraines or even fibromyalgia and toothache.
PAIN TOLERANCE – There is some evidence that it could make us less sensitive to pain. This might happen in the nerve endings or possibly in the brain as well. This could be useful for chronic pain sufferers, where the nervous system and the brain become increasingly sensitized to pain.
INFLAMMATION – PEA works at reducing inflammation on several levels. It is even believed to help with inflammation in the nerves and even the brain. It can also be useful for other inflammations, such as arthritis.
NEUROPROTECTIVE – Studies have shown that taking PEA can have a protective effect on peripheral nerves and even the brain. Animal studies have even shown regrowth of nerves in the brain. It has been shown to improve memory and executive function. This has led people to speculate that it could be useful in issues like Dementia; however, the study numbers were small, and research is still ongoing.