By Katie Jodscheidt, CPT – National Academy of Sports Medicine
Many people today suffer from pain, whether it is back pain, joint pain,
neck pain or even knee pain. According to the National Institute of
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, back pain is one of the
most common medical problems, affecting 8 out of 10 people at some
point during their lives.” While some people experience sporadic pain
following overuse or intense activity, others deal with pain on a daily
basis, chronic pain. It seems people will try anything if it means they
will get out of pain fast.
A
matter of fact, did you know that pain is the last indicator that there
is a problem? Many people feel pain and they immediately try to think
of a recent event that may have caused it. However, pain can surface
days, months or even years after the initial cause such as in the case
of a car accident. The first reaction following an accident is usually
to think that you are fine because there is no immediate pain, however,
people are encouraged to still get examined because the trauma to the
body can cause pain down the road.
Whether someone is dealing with dull pain, sharp pain, acute pain or
chronic pain, the fact is, no one wants to live with pain. Lets face
it, it’s a PAIN! Often times it hinders our ability to do what we enjoy
whether it be exercising, activities with children or grandchildren or
playing a sport. While some people try a more natural route to reduce
pain such as Chiropractic or Systemic Enzyme Therapy, others go straight
for the prescription pain drugs, with the number one most prescribed
being Hydrocodone/acetaminophen. Most people are not thinking, what is
this drug doing to my liver over time but instead how fast until this
pill is going to kick in. We live in a world of reactive healthcare
when people should be focusing on preventative health.
Although many are looking to get out of pain fast, these prescription
pain drugs simply mask the problem, cause damage to your liver and can
be highly addictive. Sure, prescription pain medicine might seem like a
good idea in the short term but long-term use can cause a lot of
internal damage. It is time to face the facts instead of thinking out
of sight out of mind. Don’t wait for a problem, get ahead of it.
The FDA cites a study conducted in 2005 for Acetaminophen-induced acute
liver failure: results of a United States multicenter, prospective study
which found over 40 percent of acute liver failure cases over a six
year period were caused by acetaminophen overdoses with about half being
unintentional. While many people reassure themselves that they have a
legit reason to be on prescription painkillers in the first place, they
fail to see the long-term effects they have on the body.
We live in a world of instant gratification, take a pill and get results
fast. And understandably, those who deal with pain are just looking to
get some relief. What is best for your body is not always the first
thing they think about. The FDA is really coming down on the high dose
of acetaminophen in prescription drugs because of the dangers associated
with taking it. In 2009, more than 128 million prescriptions were
dispensed for name brand or generic versions of hydrocodone with
acetaminophen.
So
why else do people turn to prescription pain medication versus taking
the natural alternative route? Many might say time and cost! With the
current economic factors, people are hesitant and even reluctant to
spend fifty to sixty dollars on a high potency natural systemic enzyme
supplement, like Innerzyme’s Pain & Inflammation Blend because they
compare it to the cost of their $5-$10 prescription copay and determine
that is a better value. However, you cannot put a price of good health.
What they don’t see is the high price to be paid down the road by
taking a shortcut and simply covering up the pain symptoms. In turn,
these five to ten dollar prescriptions overtime can have potentially
dangerous effects on the liver, gastrointestinal tract and kidneys which
can lead to medical bills far surpassing the cost of the natural
alternatives.
When is the last time you tried taking systemic enzymes or scheduled an
appointment with a chiropractor or naturopath? Have you ever? Are you
thinking to yourself, “What is an enzyme?” Well, the truth is, you are
not alone! Many people shy away from these natural alternatives or
practitioners because they are not familiar with them. Or in the case
of a natural health practitioner, they believe once they go one time,
they are patients for life. Additionally, someone who has been dealing
with back pain for years might try chiropractic once but when they don’t
feel better after one adjustment, they call it quits. The back pain
didn’t develop overnight so truly working to correct the problem might
take more than just a few adjustments. Likewise with systemic enzymes,
people are so used to taking a prescription painkiller that starts to
kick in within 20-30 minutes that when they try enzymes for a day and
don’t feel a major difference, they get discouraged. Systemic enzymes
are not blocking the pain; they take time to get in your system and work
to get to the root of the pain by naturally reducing inflammation and
excess scar tissue.
Did you know that nearly all injuries and operations result in
inflammatory reactions and build up of excess scar tissue which causes
pain and swelling? It is a natural protective response to injuries and
trauma on a cellular level. However, if the inflammation is not
resolved or reduced in the acute stage, it can become a chronic
inflammatory problem.
When caring for injuries and during recovery following an operation, "it
is important to apply medications for reducing the swelling and
anti-inflammatory as well as fibrinolytic agents. If possible, such
treatment should produce no adverse effects and should further the
healing processes of the organism" (Wrba, H. & Pecher, O., Enzymes-A
Drug of the Future, pg.75).
When looking at time, again, we live in a fast paced society and people
feel they don’t have time to deal with pain in a healthy and safe way
such as with systemic enzyme therapy or chiropractic care. Dr. Stephen
Gubernick, Chiropractic Physician in Scottsdale, Arizona says,
“I was
introduced to Innerzyme about 8 months ago and continue to use it
personally as well as with my patients in order to complement their
spinal adjustments. The Innerzyme products have been more than helpful.
In fact, they have been an important part of my treatment program. I
personally take Innerzyme products to not only reduce pain from overuse
work stress but also to help me prevent repetitive stress injuries from
developing. I am very selective about the products that I take
personally and recommend to my patients. I can't recommend the
Innerzyme products enough.”
People shy away from natural alternatives because they don’t think they
will see results fast enough but correcting a problem takes longer than
covering it up. Again, the world would be a healthier place if more
time were spent focusing on preventative health rather than reactive
health. Natural pain alternatives do exist, however, they are often
passed over because of misconceptions. If you really want results, it
is important to get to the root of the problem.
A firm believer in disease prevention is Dr. Eli Hammer, Medical Director of
The Hammer Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine.
With over 25 years of experience as a physician in Arizona, Dr. Hammer
made the switch from Family practice to Anti-Aging Medicine. He
states,
“Conventional
medicine still tends to use pharmaceutical drugs such as ibuprofen and
naproxen, among many others, to reduce inflammation. However, these
synthetic drugs have many side effects, both minor and severe, that
often hinder their long term use in many patients. I have used Systemic
Enzymes extensively in my practice along with taking them personally
for a few years, seeing dramatic reductions in pain and inflammation,
and therefore, significant improvements in quality of life. Of all the
Systemic Enzyme brands on the market, I truly believe Innerzyme has
finally optimized the proper enzyme blend, while also vastly improving
upon the delivery system for better efficacy and ease of administration.
Innerzyme Pain and Inflammation Blend naturally replenishes the many
enzymes the body uses to fight inflammation and aid in the repair of
damaged tissue. The results from taking Innerzyme speak for itself.”
Innerzyme’s Pain & Inflammation Blend is revolutionizing the natural
supplement market with specially formulated enzyme based supplements
that offer a natural, safe and effective alternative to reduce pain,
inflammation and scar tissue resulting from sports injuries, overworked
muscles/joints and post operative recovery. Innerzyme is highly
recommended by athletes and healthcare professionals worldwide for it's
optimized enzyme blend, state of the art delivery system and
effectiveness.
Take a natural approach to reduce pain with Innerzyme's Pain & Inflammation Blend. Learn more, visit:
http://www.innerzyme.com.
Resources:
ACA | American Chiropractic Association. Back Pain Facts & Statistics. www.acatoday.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Grand Rounds:
Prescription Drug Overdoses – a U.S. Epidemic. January 13, 2012 |
61(01); 10-13. Online:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6101a3.htm
Hammer, Eli J., MD. "Benefits of Enzyme Therapy, Innerzyme & Anti-Aging." Personal interview. 10 May 2012.
Hoemecke R, Doenicke A. Perioperative enzyme therapy. A significant
supplement to postoperative pain therapy? Anaesthesist. 1993
Dec;42(12):856-61
Acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure: results of a United States
multicenter, prospective study. Department of Internal Medicine,
Division of Gastroenterology, University of Washington Medical Center,
Seattle, 98195, USA. Hepatology. 2005 Dec;42(6):1364-72. Online:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16317692.
Mayo Clinic. Back Pain. Written by Mayo Clinic Staff on September 11,
2012. Online:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/DS00171/METHOD=print
Miller. Proteolytic enzymes in inflammation: rationale for use. Postgrad Med. 1956 Jan;19(1):16-22.
