November - December 2003 Vol. 14, No. 6 | Contents
TRAINING Alternates to Pain Meds by Aaron Haydu, D.C.	Racquetball demands a lot of the body and often the terrific workout goes hand in hand with aches and pains. Many of us use over the counter (OTC) pain medication to alleviate many of the pains associated with rigorous play. Most of these pain medications are non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID's) which includes the family of medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen. While limited use is essentially harmless, prolonged use can cause many disturbing health problems. There are many natural alternatives to NSAID's, which can be of equal benefit with little or no side effects. Although the action of these medications is not completely understood, they are widely used for acute and chronic pain control. Prolonged use has been shown to cause many side effects, including stomach bleeding and kidney complications. There are also potentially dangerous interactions with prescription medications. It is not uncommon to see players at tournaments or after weekday matches clearly abusing these medications. With some simple nutritional changes, these medications can be largely avoided or even eliminated from your daily routine. There are a number of natural alternatives to NSAID's that can be just as effective for pain control and anti-inflammatory properties. A multivitamin/multimineral complex is essential for maintaining body tissues during rigorous exercise and to decrease soreness and pain associated with tissue injury. Natural supplements, such as Boswellia, has been shown to be as strong as NSAID's with no known side effects. Carnitine will decrease muscle soreness by helping the body utilize fats, preventing the breakdown of muscle for energy during prolonged activity.  As an alternative to NSAID's, try using a combination of proteolytic enzymes and bioflavinoids, both have shown to be effective in decreasing inflammation and pain. Proteolytic enzymes (bromelain and papain) can be taken in tablet form or can be absorbed from natural foods such as pineapple and papaya. Bioflavinoids are plentiful in foods such as orange zest, citrus fruits, cherries and grapes. A health food store will have many of these supplements available over the counter and many of which will be combined into one tablet.  Most recently, there have been studies suggesting that NSAID use can actually interrupt the healing process by interfering with the body's natural and necessary inflammatory process. Athletes must understand that there are many natural and nutritional alternatives to NSAID's. The healthy choice is to use these medications sparingly and only in the early phase of an injury, not as a part of daily routine.
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