The Blessing of Pain

No one likes pain, yet we should be thankful for it. Pain serves a vital function in letting us know when something within our bodies is not quite right.

The problem is we often rely upon pain to direct our health choices instead of being proactive. A heart attack is often the first sign of heart disease most people notice, but then it may be too late. Severe back pain is typically the result of years of poor posture and inadequate exercise. Pain just brings these problems to our attention.

Everyone looks for pain relief when hurting. That's why so many health product and service advertisements focus on pain relief. Truly effective products and therapies also focus on correcting the underlying issues instead of simply masking the symptoms.

Take a herniated disc for example. Traditional treatments might focus on anti-inflammatory pain relievers such ibuprofen. Reducing inflammation and relieving pain are reasonable goals, but will pain medicine correct the actual condition which caused the pain?

A better treatment plan combines relieving pain and inflammation with a targeted approach to improving or completely eliminating the unhealthy condition.

The best treatment plan is no treatment plan at all. In other words, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Continuing with the example of the herniated disc, one could greatly decrease the odds of injury by maintaining back health all along.

Proper diet and nutrition is always a cornerstone of good health. Correct exercise which takes into account your body's current condition is very important. Good sleep habits form the third corner of the health triangle. Small steps bring important results.

The next time you face a painful condition be thankful you have the opportunity to recognize a problem. Then take the necessary steps to improve your health, not just your pain.