Have you ever had that kind of pain that keeps you awake at night? It’s grim isn’t it …
Whether your lower back is hurting from too much gardening; your neck is hurting from too much computing; your shoulders from too much carrying; your hips from too much sitting; your knee because you’ve twisted it; or you’re laid up with ‘flu – wherever the pain is, and for whatever reason, once it starts messing with your sleep, that’s bad news.
Sleep is so important for many of the healing processes in the body. When sleep is disrupted, our brains are disrupted [as any young mother will tell you!].
As an aficionado of many different kinds of pain over the years, this is what I do – a technique which I learned a few years ago, at a conference called Pain and Pharmacology:
In the late afternoon or with supper, I will take one slow-release ibuprofen – also known as Long Lasting Pain Relief. Most supermarkets sell their own version of this. Also possibly a paracetamol.
Before I go to bed, I take another Long-Lasting Pain Relief capsule, and possibly another paracetamol, and dissolve one soluble paracetamol eg Actifast by Panadol, in the green box, in some water. That is then the water for my bedside table, if I am thirsty during the night.
That way, if I am drinking water at night, it is also easily absorbed pain relief.
And if things still get really bad, then I might also take a Meltlet – the Nurofen that dissolves in your mouth and is a fast-acting pain killer.
This layering of pain relief can be very helpful for managing night pain:
as the first slow-release capsule is peaking, that’s when you take the next dose – so that as the first one is wearing off, the second one is kicking in. Whereas, if you take them both at the same time, then they both surge and both wear off at the same time.
This layering is a more subtle approach to taking pain killers I find, and also allows you to monitor and moderate your pain relief in a more nuanced way. I hope you find this helpful.
NOTE – if you have asthma, or gut issues, so that you can’t use ibuprofen, then the soluble paracetamol is a useful tool to have in your pain management armoury. That is an equivalent to the Meltlets.
Homoeopathically, Arnica tablets can help for general aches and pains. For more specific sprains and strains, then use Ruta Grav; or for cold and wet rheumatics, then Rhus Tox is the one you need. If you’re better when it’s cold and crisp, then Causticum is indicated.
I am not a homoeopath, but have worked alongside them over the years, and picked up some useful tips – and can always suggest a local homoeopath who will be able to help, if you want to investigate this further.
And of course, if I can help with relieving your pain, just give me a shout and let’s book you in for a session soon. You’re welcome to see me at my clinics in Baldock, SG7 or Bromley, BR1.