Find the holistic treatment that will work best for you based on your emotional type and specific pain condition

• Provides an easy questionnaire to determine your emotional type and an interactive self-assessment for finding the right pain treatment for your condition

• Explores mind-body treatments for many common pain conditions, including arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel, migraines, carpal tunnel, and PTSD

• Reviews the scientific evidence in support of acupuncture, biofeedback, hypnosis, massage, chiropractic, yoga, herbs, and essential oils

Throughout history many healing traditions have focused on analgesia--the alleviation of pain--an area in which modern medicine provides few options beyond narcotics, steroids, and surgery. For those seeking drug- and surgery-free alternatives or complements to conventional pain management, the choices can be overwhelming. How do you know which method will work for you?

In this guide to safe and effective natural therapies for acute and chronic pain, authors Marc S. Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D., and Sebhia M. Dibra explain how your emotional boundary style--how you react to emotional, social, environmental, and physical stresses--affects which complementary treatments will work best for you. Providing an easy questionnaire to determine your emotional type and an interactive self-assessment for finding the right pain treatment for your condition, they explore the effectiveness of mind-body treatments for each emotional type and for many common pain disorders, including arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel, ulcer, migraine headaches, carpal tunnel, anxiety, PTSD, and other chronic pain conditions. They review the available research and scientific evidence in support of each therapy, suggesting only well-established, safe, and clinically proven alternative treatments, such as acupuncture, biofeedback, hypnosis, massage, chiropractic, yoga, herbs, and essential oils.

Approaching pain holistically, they reveal how pain should be understood as a dynamic condition--an interaction between mind and body as well as between patient and therapy--and how your emotional type is key to long-lasting and successful results.

Marc S. Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D., is adjunct professor of physiology, biophysics, and pharmacology at Georgetown University School of Medicine and adjunct professor in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The author, coauthor, and editor of 30 books and textbooks, including Your Emotional Type and The Spiritual Anatomy of Emotion, he lives in Longboat Key, Florida. Sebhia M. Dibra is a contributor for a number of online and print publications including Pennsylvania State University, Bash Dibra, and DrMicozzi.com. With experience in multiple fields such as biophysics, applied earth sciences, and neuroscience, she is currently finishing a degree in psychology at Pennsylvania State University.

Acknowledgments

PREFACE

Taking a Natural Approach to Pain

INTRODUCTION

The Problem of Pain

PART ONE

Mind-Body Techniques for Pain

1 Pain and Your Emotional Type

2 Relaxation and Stress Reduction

3 Biofeedback

4 Imagery and Visualization

5 Hypnosis

6 Meditation and Yoga

7 Spiritual Healing Part Two Hands-On Healing

8 Massage and Bodywork

9 Chiropractic

10 Acupuncture and Qigong

Part Three

Managing Pain with Natural Products

11 Vitamins, Nutritional Foods, and Herbs

12 Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

Appendix A The Boundary Questionnaire

Notes

Bibliography

Index