Good Health TM
LIFESTYLES
CHAPTER 1
THE POWER
of Pain
Whether you suffer from back
pain, joint issues, migraines, or even a stubbed toe, most types of pain have one common denominator—inflammation. The first thing most people do to tame inflammation is reach for a bottle of ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin. Most conventional doctors second this notion by commonly recommending these popular antiinflammatory painkillers. That can be a huge mistake. These NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), plus prescription drugs like Anaprox, Celebrex, Feldene, and Voltaren, can cause serious toxicity problems that require hospitalization for as many as 200,000 Americans each year and kill as many as 30,000 people. NSAIDs damage the kidneys,
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increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and erode stomach and intestinal lining, causing ulcers. Doctors also frequently choose to treat chronic pain by prescribing narcotics, including opioids like Vicodin or Percocet. Narcotics do nothing to relieve inflammation (the actual cause of pain), but put those taking them at risk for liver damage and addiction. Overdoses