Taste for Life: In addition to being one of the founders of Dr. Rigg’s Rhelief, a natural pain supplement, you have extensive experience in a clinical pain management practice. What led you to that field?

Dr. Andrew Konen: My grandparents lived with us when I was growing up in Texas. I was my grandad’s little buddy and went with him to his doctor appointments.

Unfortunately, Grandad was often in terrible pain due to severe diabetic neuropathy. The doctors didn’t hesitate to give him his anti-hypertensive and diabetic medicines, but they refused to help him with his pain.

TFL: That must have been hard to witness.

AK: Yes. When I was 10, my family took a trip to Padre Island in Texas. Before we left, my grandfather said, “Andy, I can’t take this anymore.”

When we returned home, we discovered he had tried to take his own life. He survived the attempt, but it caused a brain injury that rendered him dependent on my mother and grandmother for years.

As a child, I found it very frightening.

TFL: That sounds traumatic.

AK: It became my motivation to go to medical school. I started a pain management practice with Dr. Brian Flanagan in 1999. It’s great to help people, and I love what I do.

Over the years, patients often asked, “What natural things can I try in addition to my prescriptions?”

Being trained in Western medicine, we initially dismissed the idea of Eastern-style treatments—even though most of the world’s first go-to is the use of traditional herbs.

TFL: What changed your mind?

AK: 5-Hour Energy shots came out in 2004. Anything that doesn’t need to be dissolved in the stomach is more rapid acting, and these tiny functional drinks quickly became popular. It gave my partner and I the idea of creating a liquid shot for pain relief.

Around the same time, a lot of clinical studies about the use of herbs for pain relief were being published in professional journals from around the world.

Encouraged by the existing science, my partner and I began testing different herbs, turning them into liquid formulations.

Unfortunately, none of them tasted very good initially. About six years ago, Dr. Leonard Riggs, a physician friend of mine, became an investor.

We began making a powder stick of our proprietary formulations that was easier to flavor and resulted in much more palatable products. There is wild cherry in the product, so it was natural to make it a wild cherry flavor.

Powder into liquid accomplishes the same goal of being absorbed into the body more quickly.

TFL: In addition to being rapid acting, what makes your product different than other natural internal pain relievers?

AK: We combine ingredients that address different sources of pain: Inflammation, joint pain, arthritis, musculoskeletal/bone, and neuropathic/nerve pain. Any time you might normally take Excedrin, Tylenol, or Advil, you can take Dr. Riggs’ Rhelief.

About 80 percent of people with chronic pain are vitamin D3 deficient, so that is included in the formulation. One of the most effective herbs is feverfew, a natural anti-inflammatory.

Another functional ingredient is a butterbur extract that acts as a COX-2 inhibitor. Most standard anti-inflammatories block COX-1, which can have damaging effects on the kidneys and undermine the stomach lining. Blocking COX-2 is a safer anti-inflammatory, and the only similar product on the market is Celebrex.

We also use caffeine in the product, which has direct applications for pain relief. Rhelief PM, our nighttime formula, does not contain caffeine. It includes ingredients such as chamomile, lemon balm, and melatonin, to help you relax and sleep.

Millions of Americans suffer from painful medical disorders such as migraines, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome.

While conventional treatment for these problems focuses on medication, researchers at University at Buffalo’s Behavioral Medicine Division argue that behavioral strategies such as diaphragmatic breathing and cognitive change skills are crucial aspects of mind-body health, and that their efficacy is, for many disorders, more powerful than medical therapies.

Many of us search for answers to symptoms by consulting doctors, trying new diets, taking prescriptions, or relying on social media trends. However, if we look inside ourselves, we have access to a healing resource that is free and in unlimited supply.

We have our breath to get us back on track.

What Is Healing Breathing?

Most of us go through the day unaware of our breathing. Many of us, especially those with chronic pain disorders, engage in shallow breathing as opposed to diaphragmatic breathing, also known as abdominal breathing.

Proper breathing plays a crucial role in whole-body health, says Jeffrey Lackner, PsyD, University at Buffalo. “Respiration is under the control of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the part of the nervous system that regulates automatic or involuntary bodily functions such as the beating of our heart, sweating, and digestion,” he says.

“It [breathing] also plays a role in pain. Because the way the body is hardwired, it [the breath] is one of the few parts of the ANS we have direct control over. Learning to control breathing can help regulate the ANS and its impact on pain and digestive functions.”

Learning controlled breathing not only directly impacts physical symptoms, “it can increase our sense of control and confidence in managing symptoms on our own,” Dr. Lackner says. “This can have a ripple effect on better managing difficult- to-control, hard-to-treat, digestive symptoms aggravated by stress, negative emotions, and other lifestyle triggers.”

Manage Chronic Pain Through the Breath

Living with chronic pain is tiring and stressful. When symptoms arise, they can invoke anxiety and worry, further escalating stress. At this point, managing symptoms or even looking at the situation objectively moves further out of reach.

Ultimately, when we feel at the mercy of our symptoms, we feel worse. Christopher Radziwon, PhD, describes breathing as a “first-step response,” which helps us feel more in control of our lives and symptoms and also serves to reduce our body’s stress response.

“Breathing is one of the control mechanisms we have to slow our system down a bit,” he says. “When we breathe more, we notice our bodies more.”

Noticing where we hold tension—chest, neck, jaw, or gut, for example—is key in managing chronic pain. “Our bodies physically show us our stress even before we know it is there,” says Dr. Radziwon.

We can then use the information about where we hold stress in our bodies to signal us that something is out of balance in our lives. If breathing brings our attention to our clenched jaw, then we can do a self- assessment. This inquiry might bring our attention to an upcoming job interview, which opens doors to healthier stress management. “Breathing is an effective way of intervening early,” Dr. Radziwon says.

Drs. Lackner and Radziwon emphasize that breathing works best in conjunction with other strategies rather than as a standalone treatment. Ideally, since the crux of their research focuses on changing thinking patterns and how our bodies react to thoughts, cognitive behavioral therapy would be included when treating chronic medical conditions. Cognitive behavioral therapy targets the mind-body, mind-gut connections and is an effective treatment for some of the most challenging pain disorders.

In centralized pain disorders such as pelvic pain, TMJ, IBS, and nonspecific back pain, people spend a lot of time thinking. The rest of your body reacts to that thinking, says Dr. Lackner. “These are problems where the brain is a big player. It is hard to treat these people unless you respect the role the brain has and mobilize its resources.”

Practice Every Day

Drs. Radziwon and Lackner concur that breathing is not supposed to be complicated. A napping baby or pet naturally demonstrates diaphragmatic breathing without the use of a manual.

The key, says Dr. Radziwon, is to practice a little every day, noticing body tension before it gets out of hand, even while sitting in a car or waiting for an appointment.

For some, placing a hand on the belly and pretending to inflate an imaginary belly balloon is helpful. Then, while breathing out slowly, deflate the balloon in the belly.

Notice the differences and embrace this incredible resource that improves and enhances quality of life.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 116 million Americans live with chronic pain and inflammation. Most are in constant search of relief. Chronic pain is discomfort that lingers for more than three months after a condition has been medically treated or repaired.

Pain Relief, Chronic Pain & Inflammation

Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, and multiple sclerosis are just a few of the root causes. 

Opioids are often prescribed. But they can lead to dangerous addictions. Even over-the-counter pain relievers like NSAIDs and acetaminophen can have damaging side effects in the liver and kidneys. 

Without pain relief, emotional side effects are common complications of chronic pain and inflammation. When physical motion is restricted by pain, the quality of life can be diminished and depression may result. 

Safe & Effective Pain Relief with CBD

If opioids and other pain relievers aren’t working, there is an alternative for those willing to think outside the box. Consider a regimen of cannabidiol (CBD), which is a promising treatment drawn from the cannabis plant. 

Some people reject CBD for fear of the “high” associated with marijuana. But marijuana has a significant concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Most CBD products screen out nearly all of the THC. “We’re talking about something with a safety profile that looks like vitamin C,” Joel Stanley, CEO of CW Botanicals, told the Denver Post. 

CBD has become a useful tool for some in the medical community. “I use it in my practice because, unlike pain medications such as Tylenol, CBD does not cause kidney or liver issues while providing the same pain relief,” Texas-based Charlton Woodly, DPM, said in US News & World Report. In the same article, Dr. Philip Blair, MD, said that he concluded CBD was safe and has prescribed it for thousands of patients with chronic pain and inflammation. “I see the relaxation of their facial muscles,” he said. “I hear a deep sigh of relief.”

CBD for Reducing Pain & Inflammation 

Not all doctors agree with Woodly and Blair. But scientific research is under way to assess the full potential of CBD. 

One study in the European Journal of Pain suggested that topical use of CBD creams lowered pain and inflammation in rodents afflicted with arthritis. A second study in the medical journal Pain showed promise in treating pain and anxiety with CBD.

Former NFL quarterback Jake Plummer has suffered from chronic pain and inflammation after years of hard tackles on the football field. He found that CBD provided significant relief.

“The inflammation in my joints that stiffened up in the cold winter months was gone,” Plummer told the sports website FanBuzz. “The random headaches that would throb behind my eyes to the beat of my heart? Gone. The only thing different? CBD.” 

CBD Product Options

If the taste of CBD tincture is off-putting—and for many it is—consider CBD gummies or topical creams and lotions. 

There are many CBD products on the market, so choose wisely. Legal restrictions on CBD vary by state.

Moving can seem unbearable if you are suffering from chronic fatigue and pain. Autoimmune illnesses and other medical conditions invite undesirable symptoms, frequent medical appointments, and stressors that can push exercise to the bottom of a to-do list. But moving doesn’t need to be yet another stressor. It can be soothing, healing, and even joyful.

For those of us who live with too much inflammation, movement can be a part of an integrative treatment plan. Researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that as little as 20 minutes of moderate exercise daily can reduce inflammation by producing an anti-inflammatory cellular response.

Ballroom dance helps me manage and reduce the symptoms of Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. It also strengthens my brain-body connection, and when I am happy, my body is happy. The positive impact it has on my pain, digestion, energy level, and mood has been life changing.

Dancing for Your Health

Doctors in the UK may soon be able to prescribe complementary treatment methods such as dance classes as part of patients’ treatments. Known as “social prescribing,” this type of intervention honors the ways that the arts enhance conventional medical treatment. We have not recognized social prescribing in the United States yet, but the impact of dance on health is no surprise.

In a study published in the Journal of Neural Transmission, dance classes showed physical, emotional, and social benefits for people with Parkinson’s disease. The New England Journal of Medicine showed dancing significantly decreases the risk of dementia.

Science also confirms dancing makes you happy. By increasing self-esteem and a positive body image, reducing depression, and building relationships with others, there is much to feel happy about. Moving also increases feel-good chemicals in our brains.

Healing Trauma Through Movement

Studies show there is a connection between stress, trauma, and chronic illness. While talk therapies can be effective, they are not always enough to heal trauma. Emotions and memories associated with trauma can get stored in the body, not just the mind. Movement combined with music and the social relationships formed through dancing provide a natural outlet for the release of trauma, stress, and negative emotions.

When we do things we love, we naturally move more. Even if dancing doesn’t appeal, there are many ways to move more and feel better because of it. When we remember that moving is about finding a rhythm that is uniquely ours, we are gentle with ourselves and seek activities that nurture our whole bodies.

So the next time moving gets pushed to the bottom of your list, remember, moving in your own way is part of living a fulfilled life.

Tylenol, Advil, and other over-the-counter pain killers are fast-working and convenient for treating the symptoms of an occasional headache, muscle strain, and the like, but they’re not always the best answer to long-term discomfort.

NSAIDs—nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs—including ibuprofen and naproxen have been associated with kidney, heart, and bone issues. Aspirin and acetaminophen can be better options but still present risks to stomach and liver function when used regularly at high doses.

Natural Relief for Long-Term Pain

Fortunately, there are a number of natural alternatives to nonprescription medications that people dealing with long-term or chronic conditions may want to consider. Here are some options to try.

• Supplements

  • Reduce Inflammation with Turmeric

    The spice that adds the deep yellow color to curries is well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Part of the ginger family, turmeric comes in capsule form. Among conditions it’s used for are:

    • diabetes
    • osteoarthritis
    • rheumatoid arthritis
    • psoriasis

  • Lessen Pain and Inflammation with Omegas

    Fatty acids found in fish oil, nuts, and seeds, omega 3s are anti-inflammatory and can lessen stiffness, joint and back pain, menstrual pain, and pain caused by conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and heart disease.

    One study showed that people with rheumatoid arthritis who took a daily dose of cod-liver oil could cut back on NSAID use by one-third.

    In another study, two-thirds of participants with neck and back pain were able to replace their NSAIDs altogether with fish oil.

  • Decrease Arthritis Pain and More with Probiotics

    Supplementing with probiotics may reduce inflammation and help with pain and bloating caused by gut disorders like irritable bowel syndrome. But their use extends beyond the digestive tract.

    The Arthritis Foundation notes that probiotics can be particularly helpful for people with inflammatory types of arthritis, who typically also suffer from inflammation of the intestinal tract.

    In a 2014 study, rheumatoid arthritis patients who received a daily supplement of the probiotic Lactobacillus casei showed significantly lower markers of inflammation than those given a placebo.

• Topicals

  • Desensitize Nerves with Capsaicin Cream

    Another supplement used for arthritis pain, along with pain from shingles and neuropathy, capsaicin is derived from chili pepper. It works by desensitizing C-fibers, nerve receptors in the skin. It’s sold in ointments and creams for topical use.

    In a University of Oxford study, 40 percent of arthritis sufferers cut down their pain by half after using capsaicin cream for a month. Sixty percent of people with nerve pain cut their pain by half after two months of capsaicin application.

• Lifestyle Changes to Manage or Reduce Chronic Pain

  Other natural methods for dealing with chronic pain include massage, acupuncture, exercise (t’ai chi, yoga, and swimming are especially helpful), meditation, and good sleep hygiene.

Precautions

Remember, if you’re dealing with pain, be sure to consult a healthcare practitioner for an appropriate diagnossis.

Always check with your practitioner before adding a new supplement to your regimen, as some can interfere with medications or are not recommended for people with particular conditions or women who are pregnant or nursing.

To be human, it seems, means to have headaches. If the $4 billion Americans spend on over-the-counter (OTC) pain pills is any indication, a lot of us fend off headaches fairly regularly.

It's important to figure out which kind of headache you are experiencing, and find the right relief.

No matter what kind of headaches you get, headache experts find that clean living can go a long way in heading off future headaches.

You’ve heard it before, but it doesn’t hurt to review it:

• get regular sleep
• exercise regularly
• eat healthy meals

Types of Headaches

Scientists classify headaches into three major categories:

• primary headaches
• secondary headaches
• cranial neuralgias

Headache sufferers may also classify them into three categories: nasty, nastier, and with a nod to Bruce Springsteen, “freight train running through the middle of my head.”

Primary headaches include migraines, tension headaches cluster headaches, as well as others.

• Tension Headaches

  The most common type, brought on by physical or emotional stress, are experienced by as many as 90 percent of adults.
  
  About 80 percent of headaches are tension headaches. These generally respond well to OTC pain medications such as acetaminophen or aspirin. Although a tension-type headache isn’t disabling—most people can keep doing what they need to during the day—it’s annoying.

  Triggers

  Stress is the biggest cause. The most obvious answer is perhaps the best one: relax.

  Try practicing yoga, meditation, or biofeedback-assisted relaxation.

  It also helps to be mindful of other potential triggers:

  • too little sleep
  • dehydration
  • caffeine overuse
  • skipping meals

  Remedies

  • Vitamin D

    It’s possible that your headaches aren’t from stress, but instead due to vitamin D deficiency. Research checking blood levels of vitamin D and noting headache frequency of each person found that being in the low vitamin D group showed strong crossover with also being in the high-frequency headache group.

    Vitamin D deficiencies rank as one of the more common vitamin deficiencies, especially in the fall and winter. This is because vitamin D can be made by the skin by the action of sunlight. It’s prudent to focus on dietary (and perhaps supplemental) sources of vitamin D, at least for the non-sunny parts of the year.

  • Topical Peppermint Oil

    A pleasant-smelling way to relieve tension headache pain comes in the form of topical peppermint (Mentha piperita) oil. When people with tension headaches apply peppermint oil or placebo, the peppermint group gets relief. The topical peppermint even relieves headache pain as well as aspirin and other OTC pain relievers

• Migraine Headaches

  Disabling pain that interferes with daily living is one of the things that define a migraine. Women are three times as likely as men to get migraines. OTC pain relievers help ease the pain, but many people with migraines end up needing prescription medication.

  Triggers

  Find Triggers by Keeping a Diary

  A headache diary with notes about your headaches and your diet can reveal patterns and connections with your migraines. What triggers a migraine varies quite a bit, but these are good starting points:

  • oversleeping
  • undersleeping
  • skipping meals
  • alcohol
  • emotional stress

  A headache diary will also reveal any connections to your menstrual cycle. So-called “menstrual migraines” strike each month around the time of a woman’s period due to falling estrogen levels.

  Common Food Triggers

  With most food triggers, you’ll know within a couple of hours if there is a connection, although chocolate and caffeine can take longer to trigger a headache.

  • red wine
  • draft beer
  • aged cheese
  • garlic
  • onion
  • chocolate
  • caffeine

  Remedies

  • Butterbur

    Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) is sometimes called purple butterbur or sweet coltsfoot.

    Some studies have shown it to be effective in reducing the frequency of migraine headaches by as much as 50 to 60 percent after taking a standardized butterbur extract.

    Because butterbur contains liver-toxic substances called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA), it should only be used in commercially prepared forms labeled PA-free.

  • Feverfew

    The herb feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) has been shown to ease the frequency, severity, and duration of migraine attacks.

    Keep in mind that it’s not an instant cure. This anti-inflammatory herb works better if taken regularly to gradually reduce migraine days as opposed to taking it in the midst of a migraine.

    Take this herb daily for at least four to six weeks before expecting protection against migraines.

    Studies on Feverfew

    A German study found that migraine sufferers given a CO2-based extract of feverfew had significantly fewer migraine headaches after taking this extract three times a day for 16 weeks.

    Other research has shown that carbon dioxide extract of feverfew decreased the frequency of migraine attacks from 4.76 per month to 1.9 per month.

    Other research describes a three-month trial in which a combination of feverfew with magnesium and vitamin B2 provided a 50 percent decrease in migraine attacks.

  • Peppermint Oil

    Peppermint (Mentha piperita) essential oil has been shown to provide relief from migraines.

    This anti-inflammatory herb works better if taken regularly to gradually reduce migraine days as opposed to taking it in the midst of a migraine.

    One study showed a significant reduction in reducing or eliminating headache pain altogether when a peppermint solution was applied to the forehead, helping tense muscles to relax and release their painful grip.

    Mix essential oils with a vegetable-based carrier oil before applying them directly to the skin.

  • White Willow

    White willow (Salix alba) dates as far as back as 400 BC, when Hippocrates touted the pain-relieving effects of willow bark.

    This anti-inflammatory herb works better if taken regularly to gradually reduce migraine days as opposed to taking it in the midst of a migraine.

    Some 2,200 years later, Henri Leroux, a French pharmacist, managed to crystallize the extract (salicin) leading to the invention of salicylic acid, commonly known today as aspirin.

    Studies show that willow can be as effective as aspirin for relieving pain. For some people, it’s also less likely to produce gastrointestinal side effects such as upset stomach.

  • Magnesium

    In addition, research shows that many headache sufferers run low when it comes to the mineral magnesium.

    For women with menstrual migraines, taking magnesium supplements every day for a week or two prior to each month’s period can reduce the number of headaches.

  • B Vitamins

    B vitamins also deserve consideration when it comes to migraine prevention.

    Those who experience frequent migraines can reduce their occurrence and severity with daily supplementation of folic acid (5 milligrams) combined with vitamin B6 (80 milligrams).

  • Yoga

    An eight-week meditation and yoga program led to fewer and shorter migraines in a group of adults. The migraines also tended to be less severe, and participants felt a greater sense of control over their headaches.

    The adults attended eight weekly classes to learn mindfulness-based stress reduction. They also practiced on their own for 45 minutes at least five additional days per week.

    “Stress is a well-known trigger for headaches, and research supports the general benefits of mind/body interventions for migraines,” said Wake Forest University professor Rebecca Wells, MD.

• Other Types and Causes

  • Caffeine Withdrawal

    Caffeine addicts can get a headache about a day after their last dose. A cup of coffee will solve the problem.

  • Cluster Headaches

    Cluster headaches have most of the pain around one eye, have a rapid onset, and reoccur in clustered groups for days, weeks, or months until a remission period. Smoking is a risk factor for these headaches and they are more common in men.

  • Dehydration

    Dehydration can trigger a headache. Remedy by drinking water.

  • Eyestrain

    Too much computer work can trigger a headache. Resting your eyes several times an hour and possibly getting prescription glasses geared toward computer use can solve the problem.

  • Rebound Headaches

    Taking OTC painkillers too often can result in a “medication overuse” or rebound headache. Avoid this trouble by limiting analgesic use to no more than twice a week.

  • Sinus Headaches

    This headache develops as a result of a sinus infection. The pain is centered around the eyes and cheeks, and worsens when bending over. These headaches are rare; many supposed cases of sinus headache are migraines.

  • Thunderclap Headaches

    A sudden and severe headache, often described as the worst headache possible, could signal a life-threatening condition, such as a stroke or aneurysm; seek immediate medical attention.

What is a Headache?

Pain/discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck; tension headaches are the most common type.

What Causes Headaches?

• Stress
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Lack of sleep
• Skipped meals
• Caffeine withdrawal
• Alcohol

Reducing and Relieving Headaches

• Lifestyle Tips

  • Exercise
  • Eat regularly
  • Stay hydrated
  • Get adequate sleep
  • Manage stress

• Foods to Avoid

  • Caffeine
  • Chocolate
  • Alcohol (especially red wine)
  • Aged cheese
  • Products containing:
    • nitrates
    • sulfites

Natural Remedies for Headache

• Herbal Therapies

  • Blue vervain
  • Butterbur
  • Feverfew
  • Ginger
  • Wood Betony

• Supplements

  • Magnesium
  • B vitamins
  • Fish oil

• Homeopathic Treatments

  • Antimonium crudum
  • Apis
  • Belladonna
  • Bryonia
  • Lycopodium
  • Magnesia phos
  • Pulsatilla

Chronic inflammation contributes to conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, cancer, depression, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

What Causes Inflammation?

Acute Inflammation

While inflammation is a sign of damage, it’s also the body’s natural defense mechanism. When we’re injured, white blood cells rush to the area and release a chemical that stimulates blood flow to begin the healing process. This is why an injury swells and becomes hot to the touch. That’s the positive work of inflammation.

“When you train hard you’re always going to get a certain amount of micro-trauma in the muscles and connective tissues that’s absolutely necessary to bring out the body’s repair mechanisms,” said cardiologist and avid runner Robert Liao, MD. “This type of inflammation is acute, or temporary, and can be remedied with nutrients that help clear our system of free radicals and repair oxidative damage.”

Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is a different story. It occurs when our adrenal glands elevate our levels of cortisol—a steroidal hormone that’s released when the body is under stress.

“Our bodies are not designed to handle elevated cortisol levels over long periods of time,” said Keri Claiborne Boyle, a former nationally ranked triathlete and certified coach of USA Triathlon. “It suppresses the immune system, decreases bone formation, and makes our bodies work overtime.”

Your Diet Affects Inflammation: Eat Right!

We’ve begun to realize that chronic inflammation can be reduced through diet. “Wheat, sugar, red meat, and dairy are all inflammatories,” explained certified health coach Liz Keller. “When our body is inflamed it can show up as joint pain, digestive issues, asthma, even poor oral health.”

Eating the right nutrients, especially those that specifically target inflammation, can help both acute and chronic cases.

Natural Anti-Inflammatory Foods

• Curcumin

  “Curcumin is a natural antioxidant,” Keller said. “It’s the primary active ingredient in turmeric, which is considered a ‘power spice’ because it promotes healing.” Prominent in Indian foods, this bright orange spice has potent anti-inflammatory effects.

  Dr. Liao said that he began taking turmeric “to reduce soreness after running, and it worked so well, I no longer needed ibuprofen.”

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids

  EPA, DHA, and ALA help ward off inflammation by reducing exercise-induced muscle damage and delayed-onset muscle soreness. EPA and DHA are abundant in coldwater fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel, while ALA is found in walnuts, flaxseeds, and some other plants.

  “Fish oil plays a huge role in my daily supplementation as an athlete,” said coach and marathoner Sabrina Wieser. “A high dose of fish oil capsules (especially after races or harder workouts) helps me decrease inflammation, enhance protein utilization, and reduce recovery times.”

• Ginger

  This tasty herb has been shown to have strong anti-inflammation properties. Add it to foods, savor it in tea, or try it in its many supplement forms.

• Berries

  Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and others are packed with antioxidants that help clear inflammation-causing free radicals from the body. “All berries are anti-inflammatories, but the darker the berry the more healing power it has,” Keller said. Though they aren’t technically berries, tart cherries and their juice have also been shown to have strong anti-inflammatory effects.

Stress Affects Inflammation: Relax!

While we all have stress in our lives, minimizing it can help reduce chronic inflammation. Icing, massage, soft-tissue work, and stretching are great for sore muscles, but you need to take a whole-body approach to address chronic inflammation. Even making small changes—like breathing deeply to slow your heart rate in high-pressure situations—can help. Make a conscious effort to meditate or practice yoga, or take the time to do relaxing, low-stress activities.

“If you’re worried about vascular inflammation, you can have your hs-CRP [highly sensitive C-reactive protein] levels checked,” Dr. Liao said. “If it’s not abnormally elevated, spending hundreds of dollars on supplements may not be a good use of your money.” But choosing to eat fish a couple of times a week, indulging in Indian food regularly, and taking a yoga class just may be.

We all know how important exercise is for health. However, for those suffering with the disabling pain of fibromyalgia, exercise can set you back.

“Because of the energy crisis that occurs in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and fibromyalgia, people are unable to condition beyond a certain point,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., world renowned expert in chronic pain and fibromyalgia, and author of the bestselling From Fatigued to Fantastic! (Avery Penguin). “If they exercise beyond that point, they can experience post-exertional fatigue, which can make them bed-bound for a day or two. This, along with the pain, often makes people afraid to exercise at all, which leads to severe de-conditioning. In this illness,” explains Dr. Teitelbaum. “The de-conditioning can be devastating—and in fact, it can be more devastating than the exercise.” 

According to Dr. Teitelbaum, it’s best to begin with a walking program to condition as much as possible. For some, this may be 50 steps a day, and for others this may be 2 miles.

“When you feel your energy building, continue to increase your walking by about 50 steps every day or two, as it feels comfortable.” For many fibromyalgia patients, doable exercises also include walking, yoga, and t'ai chi, to name a few.  

Here are 10 tips to get you started safely, and to make the exercise program more effective.

10 Tips for Effective Exercise

1. Begin with Light Exercise

   Try walking or even warm water walking (in a heated pool) if regular walking is too difficult.

2. Feel “Good Tired”

   Walk to the degree that you feel "good tired" after, and better the next day. If you feel worse the next day, stop for a few days and then cut back your routine when you begin again.

3. Work Out Comfortably

   Walk only as much as you know you comfortably can (or start with 5 minutes). Then increase by 1 minute every other day, as comfortable. When you get to a point that leaves you feeling worse the next day, cut back a bit to a comfortable level, and continue that amount of walking each day.

4. Expect Considerable Improvement by 10 Weeks

   After 10 weeks, your energy production will usually improve considerably, and you'll be able to continue to increase your walking by 1 minute every other day.

5. When Able to Exercise 1 Hour a Day, Increase Intensity

   When you get to 1 hour a day (or 5,000-10,000 steps throughout the day if using a pedometer), you can increase the intensity of the exercise. Again, listen to your body, and only do what feels good to you. You'll know the difference between how "good pain" feels versus "bad pain," or crashing.

6. Consider Using a Pedometer

   It's more fun to be able to see your endurance go up (set it for the total steps you walk a day).

7. Wear Woolen Long Underwear When It's Cold

   A cold breeze can throw muscles into spasm, and so can sweating during the walk if you're overdressed. Woolen long johns will soak up any sweat and wick it away from your skin. Meanwhile, don't forget a scarf and hat. Unless it is cold, and the cold flares your pain, I recommend that you get your exercise by walking outside, so you can get sunshine — your key source of vitamin D.

8. Enjoy Your Exercise!

   Otherwise you won't stay with it. No pain, no gain. You've heard that slogan, of course. It reflects the belief that unless exercise hurts, it's not doing its job. Pain is your body's way of saying, "Don't do that." Exercise should be virtually pain-free.

9. Find an Exercise You Enjoy

   Find an activity you love to do, look forward to, and that fits into your routine. This way you'll be more likely to stick with it. Whether you begin with a simple walk to the mailbox, or as you improve you find that you're taking a dance class, going for a walk in the park, doing yoga, or even shopping, doing something you love makes it more likely that you'll stick with it.

10. Have a Regular Scheduled Routine and Workout with a Friend

    The obligation of meeting somebody results in your being more likely to show up.