If you, or someone you care about, has ever found yourself saying, “Oh my aching back,” you need to know about this incredible back pain cure. This natural treatment was found to be so effective that most patients were able to toss their painkillers.
I’ll tell you more about this pain-proofing duo in just a moment. But first let’s take a quick look at what’s behind many cases of back pain.
You’ve likely heard of free radicals before. They’re basically unstable oxygen molecules that have lost an electron. They rampage through your body attempting to heal themselves by stealing electrons from the nearest healthy molecule they can find.
This causes a chain reaction of unstable molecules, and in the process they can cause a lot of “oxidative” damage. In fact, free radicals, and the oxidative damage they cause when your body is unable to detoxify them quickly enough, are at the root of many illnesses and diseases including the kind of nerve damage that’s often at the heart of lower back pain.
Over 90% of back pain sufferers gave up pain killers
The fatty acid alpha lipoic acid, or ALA, is an antioxidant, which means it’s a natural free-radical fighter. Research has shown that ALA can improve nerve-related pain, 1,2 as well as help heal .3 And the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), also a powerful free-radical fighting antioxidant, drives down inflammation.4,5
When researchers tested a combination of these two natural supplements on a group of nearly 100 lower back pain sufferers, the results were stunning. After taking the combo for just two months, 92 percent of the study participants had significantly less back pain, according to the study published in the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. Only 8 percent of the folks still needed their pain meds!
Less pain and less meds!
Researchers concluded that the two nutrients taken together are a winning team for lower-back-pain patients, effectively improving functionality, and reducing the need for pain meds.
Folks in the study took 600 mg of ALA and 140 UI of the SOD daily. Both supplements are available online, and in some health food stores. If you’re interested in trying this pain-proofing combo to help relieve your own back pain, have a chat with your doctor to make sure it’s right for you.
References:
1. “Oral treatment with alpha-lipoic acid improves symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy: the SYDNEY 2 trial,” Diabetes Care. 2006 Nov;29(11):2365-70
2. “Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Diabetic Neuropathy,” Rev Diabet Stud. 2009 Winter; 6(4): 230–236
3. “Assessment of the antioxidant effectiveness of alpha-lipoic acid in healthy men exposed to muscle-damaging exercise,” J Physiol Pharmacol. 2009 Jun;60(2):139-43
4. “Extracellular superoxide dismutase inhibits inflammation by preventing oxidative fragmentation of hyaluronan, J Biol Chem. 2008 Mar 7;283(10):6058-66
5. “Therapeutic potential of superoxide dismutase (SOD) for resolution of inflammation,” Inflamm Res. 2006 Sep;55(9):359-63
6. “Alpha lipoic acid and superoxide dismutase in the treatment of chronic low back pain,” European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. 2013 October;49(5):659-64
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