Managing Back Pain With Boswellia Serrata

May 21, 2018

Managing Back Pain With Boswellia Serrata

Chronic back pain can significantly affect our day-to-day quality of life, turning even everyday tasks into a challenge. Those who suffer from back pain, whether it be the result of a chronic condition, disease, or injury, often resort to prescription medication in order to ease the pain and restore some degree of mobility. While medication can certainly bring relief, one must ask at what cost? Given that the list of unwanted side effects of pharmaceuticals is extensive, natural solutions such as Boswellia Serrata are starting to gain more recognition and awareness in western medicine.

Understanding Different Types Of Back Pain

To be able to better manage a back-pain condition and target the area which is causing discomfort, it’s of high importance to be able to first recognize and determine the type of pain you're experiencing.

If the periods of pain are brief, and they don’t persist for longer than 6 months, it is very likely that what you’re dealing with is acute pain. People who experience acute pain have short, intense periods of pain which last for a couple of seconds at a time. After a few brief moments of excruciating pain, your back will likely ache, however the intensity of the pain will begin to subside. Acute pain is an immediate pain, followed by a withdrawal, which then transforms into an ache. There’s also a possibility of acute pain developing into longer-lasting chronic pain, in case it sticks around for longer than 6 months.

Unlike acute pain, chronic pain is not short lived. The main characteristic of this type of pain, as the name suggests, is persistence and duration. When it comes to chronic pain, it can be related to an injury or a spinal condition, such as spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and disc disease. In these cases the pain will persists until the condition is detected and treated. On the other hand, chronic pain can also have an unidentifiable cause, in which case the source of the problem is unknown, and the condition is defined as chronic benign pain. Chronic benign pain can also be described as an organism’s false alarm, given that there is no tissue damage that directly causes it.

Neuropathic pain is yet another form of chronic pain, triggered by an injury to the nerves (either motor or sensory) in the peripheral nervous system. In some cases, it can be felt even in absence of an injury, and it is defined as a sharp and quite intense pain, followed by numbness and/or weakness. Another symptom of neuropathy is pain which radiates through legs and arms, starting from the spinal cord.

Managing Pain: Why Boswellia?

Over-the-counter medication is usually the first choice of most people experiencing any kind of enduring pain, as it is the most accepted and advertised option in today's society and many people don’t even bother with considering any other options. However, when it comes to chronic pain, prescription medication that promises immediate relief, often doesn’t deliver desired results in the long run. Prescription medications can be addictive and come with a bevy of side-effects that end up worse than the pain you were trying to treat in the first place. Medical professionals should always be part of administering and prescribing these drugs and their use should be monitored closely.

NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen can also be effective when managing pain but can also cause undesired side effects, specifically stomach discomfort. Aspirin can negatively affects the blood’s ability to clot, which has been known to cause internal bleeding in some cases. These medicines may also cause ulceration and other severe stomach irritations. Furthermore, certain painkillers have been found to increase the risk of heart failure, renal failure, as well as allergic reactions.

In order to avoid serious health risks associated with prescription and NSAID medications many people dealing with on-going back pain are turning to natural or holistic medicine. One such alternative is Boswellia Serrata Extract. If you’ve not heard of it, Boswellia is an extract from the Boswellia Serrata Tree, originating from India. It is also commonly known as “Indian Frankincense”, and is collected in the form of resins. Exuded gum found in the trees is later turned into a hardened gum resin, which is used in Boswellia Serrata.

Pictured above: Boswellia Serrata Tree

Boswellia has been known to regulate the mediators of inflammation, which makes it a powerful natural anti-inflammatory and vascular supporting agent. Moreover, it is a COX-2 inhibitor, which makes it a pain reliever the use of which carries no consequences for the gastric tract. Boswellia has been used for centuries due to its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, which, among many other benefits, have been scientifically proven.

In addition to relieving chronic back pain, reducing the feeling of stiffness, and easing inflammation, the acids found in Boswellia Serrata limit the process of synthesis of leukotrienes, which are fatty molecules aiding the development of inflammation. Moreover, boswellic acids are able to protect the damaged tissue from the infiltration of inflammatory cells, while also improving blood flow and blocking the chemical reactions leading to inflammation in the first place. Studies have shown that the best way to deal with inflammatory conditions is to target both the pain and the inflammation. Boswellia does both making this natural remedy an ideal management tool for back pain.

In summary, if you or a loved one is suffering from a chronic back condition that causes on-going discomfort, consider Boswellia Serrata as a safe and effective alternative to many prescription drugs that cause negative side-effects. Learn more in the health benefits section of our online store to better understand what Amandean's Premium Boswellia Serrata can do for you.

Try Amandean's Premium Boswellia Serrata Extract (500mg) From The Third Harvest Of Gum Resin.