A living body is a wonderful machine which is capable in many cases of repairing itself without any conscious effort beyond that of allowing the healing process to take place. Unfortunately as we all age our bodies inevitably deteriorate and our ability to self heal becomes compromised, at the same time as our joints begin to wear out and become less supple. This can mean that for many people pain is a constant companion; the body constantly makes us aware that damage has occurred, but it is unable to completely repair this damage and chronic discomfort is the result.

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Many physical problems that hurt us can be traced back to our 21st century lifestyle; many of us eat too much and exercise too little! As a result we can get overweight, sometimes grossly so, and this can cause extra stress upon the joints of the body, particularly those of the back and the knees so one of the first priorities for an overweight person is to get that weight reduced! Many pain centres can be relieved by gentle exercise, but the wrong exercises could cause even more damage so it is essential that properly qualified advice is taken beforehand. An inadequate diet can cause painful joint problems; it is important that everyone enjoys a properly balanced diet with the correct proportions of meat, fish, fruit and eggs and, if necessary, supplements such as minerals and vitamins. Again this is an area fraught with danger for the unwary; it is all too easy to take the wrong minerals, it is too simple to eat the wrong proportion of particular foodstuffs so yet again properly qualified advice is necessary.

Acupuncture has been practised in the east for thousands of years but up until a few decades ago it was viewed with derision in the West but the simple fact is that for many people it can work to relieve pain; whether this is a logical, natural process or whether it is all down to auto suggestion is debatable but the fact is; it can work. Similarly, hypnosis has been shown to be very beneficial to some patients, although it must also be borne in mind that a large proportion of the more sceptical pain sufferers have received little or no benefit from this; again any relief is likely to be a case of mind over matter.

Heat can be a potent reliever of pain. The best way of applying it is often by using an old fashioned rubber hot water bottle containing hot water to a temperature that is comfortable, but not too high as to be likely to cause further problems. The hot water bottle should be held against the affected area until no further benefit is noted.

And last of all, is the use of drugs, which are normally the first thing that most people think about! The problem is that there is not a single drug on the market which does not have side effects and sometimes these side-effects can be very traumatic indeed for the body, particularly if the drugs are taken in large concentrations or over a long period of time. It is vital that those taking painkillers do not exceed the recommended dosage and take them only under the supervision of a qualified physician.