Written by Sara McEvoy, PT, DPT
Do you have chronic pain? You're not alone in your fight against this frustrating condition.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 50 million Americans experience chronic pain on a daily basis.
For you and others like you, your pain management goals are likely not just about alleviating symptoms.
It's undoubtedly as important that you regain an active lifestyle, restore your physical function, maximize your independence, and improve your physical and mental health.
Unfortunately, the conventional medical approaches to pain relief, namely surgery and medications, often fail to help people achieve these goals. These interventions, while necessary in certain instances, can impose several problems:
Clearly, surgery, medications, and other types of conventional pain management techniques are not a panacea for the widespread chronic pain problem.
Fortunately, consumers have many other options for non-invasive and drug-free solutions that may provide much-needed relief, even in the comfort of their own homes.
The following products are among the most innovative pain relief tools available on the 2019 market. They can provide relief when surgery, drugs, and other conventional medicine techniques just aren't doing enough for you or your loved one.
Importantly, regular and individualized use of these pain-relieving tools can help you reduce your reliance on prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
They can also help you heal faster following surgery, if invasive procedures are indeed a necessary component of your pain management plan.
None of these products require prescriptions, incisions, or medications. Discover how they can help you start feeling better in as little as one use.
The Portable Shockwave Therapy Device is an innovative device designed that provides an effective, non-invasive solution to musculoskeletal pain relief. It works by stimulating your body's natural healing process to send fresh blood to the injured tissue.
This device is perfect for physiotherapy, rehabilitation, orthopedics, sports medicine, aesthetic medicine, and urological pain therapy. It can be used in-home, hospitals, clinics, and other medical settings.
This device is small, lightweight, and portable to enable easy pain relief and treatment of injuries wherever you go. The Portable Shockwave Therapy Device is user-friendly and has iOS and Android compatible apps. The control settings are located on the handle, making it simple to adjust. This device is also available in a full-sized model.
Users love the BioWaveGO because it's:
This Light Therapy Panel is designed for red light and near-infrared light therapy treatment. It can be used in professional and home settings, and be used by grandparents, athletes, and everyone in between.
What sets this device apart from other light therapy panels is its two patented technologies that offer literally hundreds of different treatment configurations. In contrast, other light therapy panels typically offer two treatment configurations: either a red light or infrared light. This ground-breaking technology, called QuadraFlux, allows this light therapy panel to powerfully emit 4 different wavelengths from red light to near-infrared light therapy. This maximizes the effectiveness of your treatment because the light can penetrate shallow and deep tissue. The second patented technology is called Smart Hz. Smart Hz allows you to adjust the wavelength, from continuous waves (CW) to pulsing, to anywhere in between.
This light therapy panel provides positive effects on a wide variety of conditions such as: arthritis, nerve pain, nerve regeneration, tendinopathies, soft tissue healing, musculoskeletal pain, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, and improves muscle performance and recovery.
Users love it because it's:
The Heatlux Pro II delivers FDA-approved pain-relieving energy sources into superficial and deep tissue layers for comprehensive relief.
Bipolar Radiofrequency (RF) Energy targets joints and muscles and can increase circulation; Low Light Laser Therapy alleviates stubborn muscle spasms; and Infrared and Red Spectrum Heat Energy corrects pain and stiffness.
This handheld device is ergonomic and portable, making it a great addition to your suitcase, gym bag, backpack, or purse.
Users love it because it's:
The G-Force Braces allow users to alleviate pain and inflammation both at rest and on the go, through workouts and daily life by integrating cold and compression in one convenient wireless device.
Cold and compression are both well-known for helping with natural pain relief and tissue healing (the famous injury management acronym "RICE" includes both ice and compression its recommendations).
This creative and durable back brace combines the best of both worlds by allowing the wearer to enjoy customizable therapeutic compression with the added benefits of cryotherapy.
Users love it because it's:
At just 10 pounds in weight and with no assembly required, Saunders Cervical HomeTrac is easy for anyone to set up but can still provide up to 50 pounds of decompression.
Traction has a long history of use in physical therapy, chiropractic care, and other rehabilitation medicine fields.
How it works: a gentle traction force decompresses the spine, realigns vertebral joints, and creates a negative-pressure environment within the spinal discs to accelerate oxygen and fluids and help injured tissues heal.
The result: soothing relief of pain and tension and improved spinal health.
This at-home cervical traction device is ideal for alleviating pain from whiplash, tech neck, and related neck strain conditions.
Comes complete with a simple carrying case for on-the-go pain relief anywhere life takes you.
Users love it because it's:
Surgery and analgesic medications—including over-the-counter and prescription drugs—can be beneficial for some people dealing with chronic pain.
However, these options can present very real issues—including side effects, high cost, and ineffectiveness—that consumers should be made aware of by their medical team.
Keep in mind that you should never stop taking any medications without consulting with your physician.
That said, you should feel free to explore adjunct pain relief solutions such as the ones listed in this article as a way to decrease your reliance on drugs, avoid surgery, or even improve your wellbeing long-term!
To learn more about our innovative pain relief solutions and discover other ways to optimize your health, visit Caregiver University for all the best caregiving tips and tricks!
Sara McEvoy, PT, DPT, is a licensed and board-certified Doctor of Physical Therapy. She has direct clinical experience within the long-term acute care and skilled nursing settings, and has a special interest in geriatrics and neurological rehab. She is also a freelance writer who creates content almost exclusively within the health and wellness fields.
