Treating Pain With Plants

A natural approach to feeling better

- Christopher Nyerges

Health is a foundation factor of “survival.” It goes without saying that you can do little or nothing for yourself when you lose your good health. Healthy food, clean water, regular exercise, and a positive attitude—all these are the foundations of a healthy life.

And yet, with all we have access to, we have a health epidemic—not just in the United States, but throughout the world. We still put ourselves at risk, and every year, thousands of people die from complications with surgeries and dangerous pain-management drugs that might have been avoided.

The problem and the solution are both complexes. Let’s deal with just one aspect today: natural pain management.

STUDENT, RESEARCHER, INSTRUCTOR AND ADVOCATE

Dr. James Adams is a man on a mission. He teaches pharmacology at the University of Southern California (USC) and also teaches medical students Chumash healing as part of regular classes. Adams earned his Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology in 1981 at UC San Francisco and is now an associate professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences at USC. He’s written more than 200 articles, both for lay and academic audiences.

Dr. Adams says the medical profession is mistaken when it comes to how to treat pain. He explains that although the brain processes pain, most pain in the body is felt mostly in the organ that is our skin. (However, pain in the mouth and other orifices is felt at the site of the pain [such as a tooth]). Therefore, based on his Western medical training, and supported by his Chumash healing training, Adams always treats the skin for all pain conditions. Further, he states that everyone can do such self-medicating “for free” for any pain with no harmful side effects.