Although you should consider your diet first, taking supplements is also a good idea. When right diet is combined with supplements, the chronic pains become less.
Why supplements get pains less and which kind of supplements?
First of all, when you have chronic injuries, your body should fight against oxidative stress. All damaged skeletal muscles should be repaired at least in three months. And usually you will see improvements in two weeks. But if it takes longer than two months, you should think that the cells don’t regenerate in a proper way, in other words, you have nekrosis. Nekrosis is cells’ regenerating in a wrong way. Damaged cells are reborn as a damaged cell. That’s why mostly you see no improvements in your pain. This phenomenon is caused by localized oxidative stress and ischemia. A worse thing is, nekrosis itself causes also oxidative stress. So it’s really complicated to heal it.
Or I would say that your pain is already healed substantially. You don’t need to feel a pain anymore. But your cells don’t agree with you and makes a pain. After you constantly feel a pain, your sensitive nerve system changes and as a result, your nerve system becomes more sensitive. And also your brain makes inflammation in the affected area to promote the healing system. Once your brain makes inflammation there, your more sensitive nerve system than usual feels a pain and send warn signal to your brain, and your brain makes inflammation there to promote the healing process. Same things are going on and on. That’s why you feel no rescue in the world.
This kind of pain which is a pain after it’s healed is called whiplash.
So here’s two things what you might want to consider with your supplyments.
1. Anti-inflammation
2. Anti-oxidants
In terms of anti-inflammation, I recommend you to take MSM and curcumin supplements.
Curcumin
Curcumin would be the strongest natural anti-inflammatory in the world. Curcumin is contained in turmeric. It’s known as a spice of curry. Sine Indian people eat curry more than other countries, they are less likely to get cancer. When you choose a curcumin supplement, you should choose one which is contained black pepper extract (piperin). It promotes curcumin to be absorbed in your body.
As a matter of fact, I highly recommend you to take raw turmeric root powder. But the problem is that most of people don’t get used to its taste. That’s why not many people can have it as much as they want.
Practically speaking, you better take curcumin supplements. It has also good anti-oxidative effect.
21st Century, Turmeric Complex, 500 mg, 60 Veggie Caps
By 21st Century
https://jp.iherb.com/pr/21st-Century-Turmeric-Complex-500-mg-60-Veggie-Caps/69339?rcode=HID6531
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethan)
MSM stands for Methylsulfonylmethan. Although it sounds very chemical, it’s a natural anti-inflammatory. The main substance is sulfur. Sulfur spa is very popular in Japan for relaxing muscles, treating chronic pains, arthritis, cold and so forth.
It is contained in tomato, milk and some fruits. The main component is sulfur. It’s a pity that these foods have too less MSM for reducing inflammation, anyway. In Japan hot spring which contains sulfur is very popular. Already 3,000 years ago, a Greek general Agamemnon used sulfur bath for his soldiers and they recovered well. Also Morzart and Beethoven took a sulfur bath.
About 150 years ago, a Russian doctor Alexander Saytzeff made artificial DMSO (Dimethylsulfoxid) which is the mother of MSM successfully. Since then, people have used DMSO or MSM as a pain killer. But the problem of DMSO is its Smell. It smells like fish or garlic. But MSM doesn’t have such a problem.
MSM works well for arthritis, headache, muscle pains including delayed onset muscle soreness and as antibacterial. MSM works on enzyme which promotes inflammation and reduces white cell flows to the affected part and as a result reduce inflammation. Although a lot of free radicals produce in the affected part, MSM also cleans up these free radicals well. MSM tries to root out damaged particles and aggressive particles. Also MSM works for internal bleeding.
In terms of reducing a pain effect, MSM reduces warn signals from the pain receptors to the spinal marrow and the brain. This is a very important process of healing. Although it’s true that swelling is one of the healing process, feeling a pain or swelling can cause further unnecessary pains and/or swelling. Once the brain perceives a pain, the brain orders to send more blood and immune cells to the affected part and cause a pain and/or swelling, even if it’s not necessary any more. And of course, feeling a pain and/or having swelling is bad to keep training.
MSM works well for muscle fatigue. There is a study. Participants are separated into two groups : 1. taking MSM 10 days, 2. taking pracebo capsules 10 days. 30 minutes, 2 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours after running 14 K, they are taken blood and the blood was tested. The result was that the muscle condition of participants who took MSM was clearly better than another group. It’s thought that the result was based on MSM’s cleaning up free radicals ability.
You can buy MSM (capsule, powder or gel) on the internet. If you have any kind of pains or hard workout days, it’s good to take 2 g MSM a day with separating 2 to 3 times.
If you have a severe pain, you can take as much as 5000mg a day.
Doctor's Best, MSM with OptiMSM, 1,500 mg, 120 Tablets
https://jp.iherb.com/pr/Doctor-s-Best-MSM-with-OptiMSM-1-500-mg-120-Tablets/3?rcode=HID6531
Fish oils (DHA, EPA = Omega 3)
Fish oils also have good anti-inflammatory effect. I usually buy one from Iherb. They have cheap one. I usually take 1000mg twice a day. But according to William E. Prowse IV, one guy comfortably took as much as 9000mg a day with absolutely no problem. I recommend you to take it and increase slowly and take 1000mg one time several times a day.
Anti-oxidative supplements
Now Foods, Omega-3, 180 EPA/120 DHA, 200 Softgels
https://jp.iherb.com/pr/Now-Foods-Omega-3-180-EPA-120-DHA-200-Softgels/323?rcode=HID6531
Multi minerals
There are many anti-oxidative supplements especially vitamins. But the truth is that the best anti-oxidative materials are in your body which are called superoxide dismutase, glutathione and catalase. These days researchers reveal superoxide dismutase was overrated. Even so super oxide dismutase works better than vitamin C and other two anti-oxidative enzyme works much better than any kind of external anti-oxidants.
Minerals such as manganese, copper, selenium, zinc optimize antioxidative enzyme which our bodies already have such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathinoine perioxidase. Especially selenium plays a key roll. There is a report that if the soil contains a lot of selenium, people who live there unlikely get cancers. Foods which contain high amount of selenium are fishes, chickens, garlic, whole-grain products and Brazil nuts.
I always take multi mineral supplement which is called base saurus and I asked my sponsor to invent. I really like it because what I want to take is contained within it. Unfortunately it’s sold only in Japan so far.
But I know there is recommended one which is called mega multi mineral sold by solary in Iherb.
Solaray, Mega Multi Mineral, 200 Capsules
https://jp.iherb.com/pr/Solaray-Mega-Multi-Mineral-200-Capsules/70063?rcode=HID6531
Protandim Nrf2
Nrf 2 is a protein which affects gene expression and transcription. This protein regulates the amount of anti-oxidative enzyme such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione and catalase. This works like thermostat in our body. Once our body is exposed by any kind of stress, Nrf2 increases internal anti-oxidative enzyme in our body and once the stress gets calm, Nrf2 decreases the amount of the internal anti-oxidative enzyme. The function of this protein is very important when you are suffering from chronic pains.
Ayurvedic herbs such as bacopa, ashwagandha and Milk thistle activate Nrf2 protein. What I like to take is Protandim Nrf2 because all it’s contained in one capsule and also turmeric extract, green tea extract and black pepper extract.
Protandim Nrf2
ikegamihideyuki.jp.lifevantage.com
Why not NSAIDs?
NSAIDs have a lot of side effects and cause oxidative stress. First of all, if your pain is already in acute phase, it doesn’t help you. The worst thing of chronic pains is low level chronic inflammation. NSAIDs can’t reduce low level chronic inflammation much while it stops acute inflammation which is necessary for healing. In Japan acupuncture therapy is famous and I also like to do. Personally I like stronger stimulus than most of therapists do because it causes acute inflammation temporary. Temporary the pain gets stronger but definitely it’s necessary for healing. That’s why I often do it by myself.
But NSAIDs extinguish this kind of good inflammation.
Reference
‘’Eat and Run’’ written by Scott Jurek
‘’MSM Natürliche Hilfe bei Entzündungen und Schmerzen‘‘ written by Prof. Dr. Michaela Döll
‘‘Entzündungen Die heimlichen Killer‘‘ written by Prof. Dr. Michaela Döll
‘‘Warum Papaya kühlt und Zucker heiß macht‘‘ written by Michaela Döll
‘‘The Chronic Injury Survival Guide‘‘ written by William E. Prowse IV
‘’Plantar Fashiits Survival Guide’’ written by William E. Prowse IV
https://www.takethemagicstep.com/nutrition/nutrition-free-radicals-naughty-or-nice/ : written by Dieter Hogen and Janett Walter
